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Renee Tilton
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Senior living professionals can now take advantage of a subject not normally offered through executive development. This winter, risk management will be covered at an extensive, four-day course at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

“Risk Management of Seniors Housing & Care,” will be held on December 5-8. It will be led by Allen Lynch, Esq., partner at Nixon Peabody LLP. Other professionals teaching sections of the course include Robert Noonan, CFO at Benchmark Assisted Living; Phil Balderston, SVP of Risk Management at Sunrise Senior Living; Larry Minnix, president and CEO, and Suzanne Weiss, SVP of Advocacy at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA); Joel Goldman, Esq., partner of Hanson Bridgett Marcus Vlahos Rudy LLP; Joseph McCarron, Jr., SVP at Smith/Packett Med-Com; John Atkinson, partner at Thilman & Fillipini, LLC; Larry Cirka, president and CEO of Ultrabridge; Cindy Porter, director of Risk Management at Erickson Retirement Communities; and Cindy Graunke, director of the Division of Nursing Surveys and Certification of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid.

“Senior housing and care could be viewed as the ultimate risky business,” said Mr. Lynch, “due to, among other reasons, the vulnerability of our customers, extensive regulation, financial pressures, media attention, labor shortages and a litigious environment. Through the use of case studies, this course focuses on best practices to identify and manage the key risks important to every stakeholder in seniors housing and care, taught by a dream-team of leading professionals on the front line of risk management.”

Course highlights include:

• Insights into the prevalent risks in -- and unique to -- each property type: independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and CCRCs.
  
• Seeing the risk management issues and practices in a complex and successful CCRC, as seen through the eyes of the senior risk manager on a guided discussion tour.
  
• Building the foundation of risk management, from optimizing insurance protection (whether conventionally or through a captive) to reorganizing the enterprise to protect assets.
  
• Understanding and managing the “Achilles Heels” of operations – five areas representing the greatest risk.
  
• Learning the nuts and bolts of a state-of-the art risk management program at one of the world’s leading providers.
  
• Participating in a mock trial with plaintiffs and defense lawyers, based on an actual case involving a large operator, eliciting powerful lessons learned.
  
• Managing non-compliance risks – from the government’s top regulator.
  
• Deploying technology to reduce risk.

  Since the launch of the NIC Executive Development Program last fall at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC, every course has sold out. All courses are conducted in a participatory, seminar format. Each four-day course is $2750. To register, visit www.umbc.edu/erickson or call (410) 455-1570. For more information, email ericksonschool@umbc.edu or call (410) 455-3361.

  About The Erickson School of Aging Studies

  The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care.

  The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance, and service quality for emerging industry leaders.

  UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology.