Associate Risk Manager - Clinical

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston (TX)

Remote

USD 88,000 - 132,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid medical coverage

PTO and holidays

Tuition Assistance Program

Defined-benefit pension

Job summary

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is seeking an Associate Risk Manager to partner with clinical teams and leadership, owning risk matters from intake to resolution to safeguard patient care. The role emphasizes patient safety, incident investigation, and risk mitigation within a remote/onsite hybrid setup in Texas.

Ideal candidates have healthcare risk management experience, strong analytical skills, and may hold a graduate health-related degree.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree required for the role.
Graduate degree in a health-related field preferred.
Experience in hospital/clinical risk management or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Lead patient safety risk management investigations with clinical teams.
Assess and mitigate risks impacting patient safety and care quality.
Manage a caseload of claims and incidents to drive timely resolutions.
Review medical records and regulatory compliance for risk issues.
Collaborate with leadership and performance improvement teams.
Escalate matters beyond delegated authority when needed.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Critical thinking

Judgment

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Graduate degree in health-related field

Job description

Associate Risk Manager - Clinical

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is the world's leading cancer center, dedicated to exceptional patient care, innovative research, education, and prevention. Within the Risk Management program, the Associate Risk Manager serves as a trusted, self-directed partner to clinical teams, nursing leadership, and healthcare operations, owning assigned risk matters from intake through resolution to support safe, high-quality patient care and reduce organizational risk.

The Associate Risk Manager independently manages a caseload of potential and actual claims, incidents, and risk issues, exercising sound judgment to investigate/assess, prioritize, and resolve matters with minimal supervision. The role carries a strong emphasis on patient safety, patient advocacy, clinical event investigation, and risk mitigation. The Associate Risk Manager works closely with multidisciplinary healthcare teams to identify opportunities for improvement, investigate adverse events, resolve patient concerns, and promote a culture of safety across UT MD Anderson. The Associate Risk Manager also serves as a go-to resource for reviewing medical records, evaluating potential medical negligence matters, and advancing institutional risk management initiatives, escalating to leadership matters that exceed delegated authority.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter who has worked directly with healthcare providers, nursing teams, patients, and operational leaders in a hospital or academic medical center environment. Preference will be given to candidates with a graduate degree in a health-related field and demonstrated healthcare risk management experience involving patient safety, clinical event investigations, medical record review, medical malpractice claims, root cause analysis, and regulatory compliance. Candidates should possess strong analytical and critical thinking skills, curiosity, sound judgment, and a proven ability to independently manage complex clinical risk matters, make timely decisions, and know when to escalation.

Minimum $88,000 - Midpoint $110,000 - Maximum $132,000

Work Location: Primarily remote with onsite presence required as needed for meetings and other work

Why Us?

This position offers the opportunity to make a direct impact on patient safety, quality of care, patient advocacy, and organizational excellence within one of the nation's premier healthcare institutions. You will have real ownership of your work, the latitude to make decisions, and meaningful collaboration with clinical and operational leaders while preventing patient harm, resolving complex care concerns, and advancing a culture focused on safety and continuous improvement. The primarily remote structure provides flexibility while maintaining engagement in critical institutional initiatives.

Employer-paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30+ hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
Defined-benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer-paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

Responsibilities

Patient Safety, Clinical Risk Management & Patient Advocacy

Provide leadership, guidance, and consultation to healthcare teams and hospital leadership regarding patient care risk management issues
Independently identify, assess, and mitigate risks that may impact patient safety and quality of care, partnering with clinical teams
Lead investigations of patient safety events, incidents, complaints, and potential liability matters
Drive resolution of patient care concerns and other risk-related issues
Participate in institutional efforts to improve patient safety outcomes and reduce organizational risk
Serve as a Risk Management representative on committees assessing patient safety policies and procedures
Collaborate with Performance Improvement teams on root cause analyses and event reviews
Participate on the Institutional 2-STOP committee and conduct investigations related to threats involving patients and employees

Claims Management & Incident Investigation

Review incoming reports alleging claims against UT MD Anderson resources, employees, officers, or agents
Review of claims, incidents, and reported problems within 24 hours of receipt
Evaluate complex claims with a particular focus on medical malpractice and medical negligence matters
Independently assign priority ratings and determine appropriate next steps for each case
Determine when investigations are warranted and independently initiate and complete investigations
Conduct investigations through correspondence, telephone communications, electronic messaging, and onsite inspections
Document investigative findings and maintain complete case records
Manage an assigned caseload, reviewing all open files at least every 30 days and actively driving cases toward resolution
Recognize matters that exceed delegated authority and accelerate them promptly with a recommended course of action

Medical Record Review & Legal Support

Conduct detailed reviews of medical records, billing records, consultant reports, witness statements, project files, and correspondence
Identify relevant risk issues and prepare comprehensive case summaries
Investigate risk issues and develop detailed chronologies of events
Identify key events, witnesses, and participants associated with risk matters
Develop litigation files and timelines to support attorneys handling claims against the institution
Identify portions of patient medical records to be submitted to the UT Office of General Counsel in accordance with established guidelines
Provide information to designated negotiators and legal representatives
Negotiate settlements only within authority delegated by the Managing Legal Officer, People Education & Operations

Regulatory Compliance & Program Operations

Maintain working familiarity with medical committee privilege, peer review privilege, and quality protections
Support compliance with The Joint Commission, CMS Conditions of Participation, Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing, HIPAA, EMTALA, and Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 74 requirements
Prepare Safe Medical Device Act reports within required timeframes
Review reports submitted through the institutional incident reporting system
Maintain, update, and organize physical and electronic risk management files
Manage document retention for reports, correspondence, photographs, equipment records, notes, and other case materials
Apply knowledge of emergency management and business continuity principles in risk management activities

Program Development & Strategic Support

Contribute to the development and implementation of institutional risk assessments
Support strategic and tactical planning initiatives for the Risk Management program
Conduct educational presentations throughout UT MD Anderson
Lead special projects supporting departmental and institutional objectives
Participate in the Risk Management on-call program, independently responding to after-hours risk issues as part of 24-hour coverage rotation
Assess healthcare risk management trends through continuing education, literature review, and professional development
Collaborate with Risk Management, Patient Care, and Healthcare Operations support teams
Recommend and help implement improvements to institutional policies, processes, and procedures
Prepare special reports and analyses as requested

The Associate Risk Manager independently manages an assigned caseload of potential and actual claims, incidents, and risk issues for UT MD Anderson's Risk Management program, with an emphasis on claims related to injury or medical negligence, which will involve medical record review, analysis, and critical thinking. The incumbent is expected to identify, assess, and resolve risk issues with limited supervisory intervention.

EDUCATION

Required: Bachelor's Degree
Preferred: Graduate degree in a health related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required: 2 years Experience in a hospital or clinical environment.
Preferred: Real risk management experience in a large academic medical center, including independent management of a claims or incident caseload
Demonstrated ability to independently manage claims, incidents, and risk issues from intake through resolution; experience reviewing and analyzing medical records; strong critical thinking, investigative, and problem-solving skills; ability to collaborate effectively with patients, clinical teams, nursing leadership, and operational stakeholders; ability to identify, assess, and resolve risk issues with minimal supervision while exercising sound judgment on when to escalation • Preferred: Experience supporting patient safety initiatives, patient advocacy efforts, clinical event investigations, medical malpractice claims management, root cause analysis activities, healthcare regulatory compliance, accreditation standards, incident reporting systems, emergency management, and business continuity practices within a complex healthcare environment

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

Additional Information