Healthcare Resolutions
Directions
The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions office is located in Madigan Army Medical Center. Take I-5 Exit 122 traveling straight on Jackson Avenue and turn right onto Madigan Avenue to enter the Hospital Tower East Yellow Parking Lot. The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions office is located in the second hallway past the Hospital Tower lobby and the Madigan chapel off the South Corridor in Room 1-28-10.
About
How can the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions help me? The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions works with patients and clinicians at the time of service delivery. The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions may also be engaged at any time following unexpected outcomes of care or quality of care issues.
The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions can help you resolve patient issues in a confidential and neutral setting.
Examples of Patient Issues
- Dissatisfaction with treatment outcomes or quality of care.
- Unexpected/adverse outcomes of care.
- Sentinel events. (Any unanticipated event in a healthcare setting resulting in death or serious physical or psychological injury to a patient or patients, not related to the natural course of the patient's illness).
- Medical errors.
- Misdiagnosis or delays in diagnosis.
- Unexpected deaths.
- Inability to communicate effectively with providers.
Madigan Army Medical Center’s Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions Program is available to all patients.
The primary goals of the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions Program are:
- Resolve complex healthcare disputes, issues, and concerns at the lowest level, in a non-legal venue and at the earliest opportunity, ensuring a fair resolution process for all parties - patient, providers, and Madigan.
- Incorporate patient, family, and provider input into process improvement initiatives and enhance patient-provider partnership in care delivery.
- Promote organizational transparency and integrity, including training of providers in disclosure techniques, as unexpected outcomes of care, treatment and services are openly and honestly shared with patients and families, where system vulnerabilities are recognized and a commitment is made to process improvements.
- Forward systemic issues to process owners.
Early intervention is critical to achieving meaningful resolutions.
How does the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions help resolve these situations?
- Conduct informal fact-finding, facilitate open communication between parties, and offer fair and equitable solutions.
- Liaison between patients and physicians regarding quality of care issues; may facilitate mediation sessions with patients and providers.
- Negotiate and reason to analyze the situation and recommend appropriate actions for solutions, while ensuring that all parties understand their options and the processes involved.
In some cases, the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions will inform the Madigan commander of emerging issues while always maintaining confidentiality and neutrality.
Who can use the services of the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions?
All Madigan patients, employees, and volunteers who have patient care issues. Referrals are accepted from any beneficiary or staff member.
When and how should I contact the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions?
When you need to privately discuss an issue or conflict that affects your care at Madigan. Mediation may be offered to address and resolve your concerns.
Please note: The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions is not the Military Family Ombudsman or any other “ombudsman” position at Madigan. The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions does not address workplace or Workers' Compensation issues. Services of the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions are free of charge.
The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions advocates for fair processes for all participants in all situations.
The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions serves as a Special Assistant to the Commander and Deputy Commander.
The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions' guiding principles
- Confidentiality. Your identity is never revealed without your explicit permission.
- Neutrality & Impartiality. The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions does not take sides in a dispute and strives to achieve the best possible outcome for all.
- Independence. The Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions operates throughout all levels at Madigan and will access any Command party regarding issues that require his or her attention.
- Informality. Non-adversarial, problem-solving processes are employed to resolve disputes. However, using the services of the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions does not limit a person’s right to pursue a formal or legal process.
Multiple approaches to conflict resolution
Coaching, facilitating, conveying information between involved parties, and informal fact-finding are some ways in which the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions functions. Sometimes the situation lends itself to mediation where parties are brought together for information sharing and problem resolution.
Mediation is an informal process facilitated by the Special Assistant for Healthcare Resolutions. In a relaxed, private setting, parties openly discuss concerns and attempt to identify the underlying causes of the problem. Individual meetings may also be held with each party to clarify issues and discuss topics of a sensitive nature.