Board Member Profile
Joan E. Cummings, M.D.
Compassion for patients and administrative excellence are the hallmarks of Dr. Joan E. Cummings’ career in internal medicine. She received her M.D. from Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University of Illinois, and her distinguished background includes more than three decades of practice at the Hines V.A.
Hospital/Loyola University Medical Center. Dr. Cummings is current chair of ISMIE Mutual’s Reinsurance and Long Range Planning Committee and serves on the Executive & Audit and Risk Management committees, among others. She is the recipient of many honors, including the Women Health Executives Network’s 2005 Achievement in Healthcare Management Award.
What’s reinsurance all about?
Reinsurance allows ISMIE to protect itself from large settlements by “insuring” part of its liability exposure with “reinsurers.” This second layer of insurance helps ISMIE maintain its reserves, fiscal stability, and balance of premiums versus number of insureds. We achieve this financial responsibility by ceding (paying) a certain amount of our premiums to groups of reinsurers through “treaties” to assume the excess amount of awards or settlements. This approach is common practice among medical liability insurers such as ISMIE – and necessary to assure that coverage for policyholders is available when needed.
How does long-range planning impact me?
All of the committee’s work is guided by the philosophy of physician-first service. As a result, our committee evaluates all initiatives and proposed plans and determines if they
improve service to physicians. This process also guides our long-term planning of activities to promote successful management of liability risk. The committee always considers how an activity will help physicians not only to avoid practice risk, but also to improve communications with their patients and, therefore, derive more satisfaction from their practice.
Office assessments can lead to reduced premiums. How do I get started?
Key to preparation for an office assessment is a threehour seminar available to physicians and medical office managers: “How to Prepare for Your Office Assessment.” Participants are encouraged to ask questions and discuss issues in their medical practices.
In addition, two recommended self-study programs for physicians are available to help assure a satisfactory evaluation and oral exit interview: “Managing Your Risk in the Office/At the Hospital” and “Risk Prevention Skills for Physicians.”
Premium discounts and CME are obvious incentives. Is there any other benefit?
On-site visits by risk management staff provide opportunities for physicians to learn “best office practices” from the experts, who are always available for follow-up questions and advice. The assessment reinforces the correlations to reduced physician liability, enhanced defensibility in the event of a lawsuit, and improved patient care. Because many of the issues identified during office assessments involve patient communication, an increase in overall patient satisfaction often occurs.
ISMIE collaborates with groups such as the Illinois Civil Justice League. How does this benefit physicians?
The strongest example of the benefit of collaboration with groups such as the Illinois Civil Justice League is the passage of the medical litigation reform legislation last summer. By collaborating with other groups whose goals are aligned with ours, we can increase our influence and our ability to improve the climate for all physicians in Illinois. We need to
continually look for other alliances in our effort to improve the state’s medical liability environment.
Is medical litigation reform over?
It is still uncertain if Illinois’ medical litigation reform will withstand a constitutional challenge. We need to assure our policyholders that political candidates who are elected this fall share our views on reform. The upcoming elections present a tangible opportunity, just as the Judge Lloyd Karmeier race for the Illinois Supreme Court did last year. Working with other reformminded groups, physicians must support candidates who will fight for fairness for physicians so our patients will have adequate access to care.
Who has influenced your work as a physician?
I have been privileged to have teachers and mentors from various backgrounds throughout my career. From them, I learned to be open to new ideas from everyone I meet and to always seek better ways to serve. Abraham Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address, which I memorized in high school, also influenced my desire to serve. Lincoln’s words, “to care for him who has borne the battle and his widow and orphan,” (also the motto of the Department of Veterans Affairs) have guided my career.