Since our founding in 1981, Physicians Insurance has been grounded in strong partnerships with our Members—partnerships we continually strengthen with our risk management services. In 2025, demand for these services reached new highs—reflecting the growing complexity of healthcare risks and the trust our Members place in PI as a partner in navigating those risks.
“Risk management isn’t just about responding to events,” said Anne Flitcroft, Senior Vice President of Risk Management at PI. “It’s about anticipating what’s ahead—what’s changing and evolving—and building systems that support safe, productive care environments. To be most effective, risk management support should be proactive and collaborative. It should involve learning from the past, while always looking to the future.”
Expanding Engagement, Deepening Impact
In 2025, PI’s Risk Management team delivered more than 5,300 risk management touchpoints, spanning outreach, consultations, education, and on-site engagement. Use of our deep-dive risk assessments increased by a full 63% over 2024, and we expanded our specialty risk assessment tools to include aging services, ambulatory surgery centers, urology, and workplace violence.
Education was a core focus for PI and our Members: more than 70 new or updated courses were added to our Risk Management Library. Customized, on-site education sessions were tailored for Members to address topics such as patient handoffs, communication, and challenging patients. Our popular Risk Factors webinar series expanded to include timely topics such as provider burnout and medication and supply shortages. Some of our Members embarked on simulation training, which enabled them to learn by “living” medical events like hypertensive obstetric emergencies and pediatric resuscitations, through our vendor partner. PI also created new practical content on risks arising from GLP-1 medications, apology and disclosure, diagnostic discrepancies, and more.
“This ongoing expansion is part of our strategy to always meet our Members where they are—in an evolving landscape—with practical, easily accessible tools,” Flitcroft noted.
What We Saw: Key Risk Themes in 2025
Another highly requested service in 2025 was PI’s annual Risk Reviews. These yearly “check-ins” with Risk Consultants help Members identify their risk management priorities for the coming year and the services PI can offer for immediate impact. “These Risk Reviews enhance our understanding of the ebb and flow of risks for individual Members, while illuminating risks of our collective membership. They help to inform future guidance, education, and support resources,” Flitcroft said.
“In 2025, we saw organizations asking deeper questions about how their systems are actually performing,” she added. There is a growing realization that sound policies without regular auditing and oversight leave organizations vulnerable.”
Specifically, six key takeaways emerged from this year’s Risk Reviews:
- Documentation Audits: In areas such as chaperones, interpreter services, and informed consent, criteria often exist—but criteria that may appear effective on paper can fail in practice without auditing and documentation.
- Overdue Orders and Follow-Up: Missed or delayed follow-up can result in serious, costly outcomes, which means that “closing the loop” on orders and test results is essential for safe reliable care.
- Sexual Misconduct Complaints: Clear, consistent processes for managing and investigating complaints around sensitive issues such as sexual misconduct are critical to protect patients, staff, and the organization.
- Communications After Unexpected Outcomes: Improved communication around unexpected outcomes—including early structured processes for apology and disclosure—is important to preserve trust and reduce escalation.
- Incidental Findings: Communication and follow-up around incidental findings can create confusion and missed care needs; defined, documented processes demonstrate diligence and continuity of care.
- Supervisor and Manager Training: New leaders often carry new employment-related responsibilities and require training related to hiring, evaluations, corrective actions, and termination. Workforce risk is patient safety risk.
“The issues we heard aren’t isolated incidents—they’re systemic challenges,” said Flitcroft. “We’re helping Members move from having sound policies on paper to embedding these policies in daily practice.”
Future-Focused
PI’s Risk Management team is committed to staying ahead of the changes in healthcare and healthcare risks, continually expanding our risk capabilities, deepening our insights, and investing in tools and resources that make a meaningful difference for Members. Like everything PI, our Risk Management services have been Member-centric from the start—and will continue to be, with every evolution to come.