Illinois Risk Management Services (IRMS)—a leader in third-party claims administration in Illinois—provides medical professional liability services for self-insured hospitals, health systems and physicians. We have the experience and expertise to assist you in reducing exposures and controlling potential loss. Our claims services are designed with our clients in mind. We work hard to reduce client exposure and control potential loss. 

We keep our clients fully informed of all developments throughout the life of a claim. We also consult with our clients on decisions regarding reserving, settlement and trial strategy. Working as a team, we eliminate unnecessary surprises and support clients in the overall management of their self-insured programs.

Claim Investigations

Our staff performs a comprehensive evaluation after each reported claim. We review medical records, interview involved clinicians, analyze relevant policies and procedures, and research medical issues.

Claim Evaluation and Resolution

We evaluate each claim based on its specific set of facts. Our goal is to fully reserve claims as early as possible. This approach gives clients and their actuaries and accountants a realistic picture of the exposure presented.

Pre-suit resolution of claims reduces outside defense costs, which is critical to effectively controlling the overall cost of our clients’ self-insured programs. Our staff actively manages lawsuits for prudent use of resources, including oversight of assigned defense counsel, expert witness selection and the use of preferred vendors.

We offer comprehensive reporting to ensure compliance with all regulatory and excess/reinsurer report requirements.

Litigation Management

Our staff actively manages the lawsuit. We maintain constructive relationships with counsel, co-defendants and insurers. 

Illinois hospitals and physician groups have benefited from risk management services through IRMS for over 40 years. We view risk management holistically, offering our clients a suite of services to minimize risk profiles and mitigate liability exposures. Our staff experts direct and lead these services, which are available as a complete package or tailored to your unique needs. We proudly serve our clients with unparalleled customer service and support. 

General Consultative Services

Our hospital clients have unlimited access to our team of experienced risk consultants by telephone or email. We are always ready to answer your questions about risk management issues and to offer our thoroughly researched risk management guidance. 

Risk Management Education 

We offer several educational programs on clinical and patient safety issues impacting claims and risk management every year. These programs focus on high-risk departments and processes, utilize claims case studies to facilitate learning, and address best practices in risk management and patient safety.

In addition, we offer several risk management in-services on such topics as documentation, confidentiality, medical-legal issues for nurses, EMTALA, reducing patient falls and preventing medical errors. 

Risk Management Assessments

We perform hospital-wide risk assessments, as well as for high-risk departments. You will receive a detailed report with recommendations to implement new policies or modify existing policies, procedures, practices, rules, and/or regulations. 

We drill down to the physician levels to guide solo practitioners or medical group practices in reducing identified liability risk, improving quality care and enhancing patient safety. These assessments can also assist a hospital in evaluating potential risk when considering acquisition of a physician practice or group. We provide a detailed report with recommendations to evaluate and/or to implement new or modified policies, procedures, and practices.