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Pope protects patients, staff at CMH by Cindy Abole Public Relations Like anyone else, Nancy Pope enjoys a little variety in her days at work. Risk Safety officer, Nancy Pope, left,is a familiar face to the staff and patients at Charleston Memorial Hospital. Here she reviews a case with Nurse Manager Susan Graves, general medicine. As risk, safety and compliance officer at Charleston Memorial Hospital (CMH), her job allows her to wear many hats—safety and corporate compliance, insurance coordinator, customer satisfaction and occupational safety coordinator—to name a few. Each day, she supports about 200 students, staff and patients by providing guidance and care. “I really like the combination of my job,” said Pope, which unlike her counterparts in MUSC's Medical Center and University Risk Management, juggles her duties alone. “I enjoy being out there with the staff. They are a valuable resource to me.” A veteran of seven years in health care risk management, Pope handles all aspects of risk management and safety issues. She's also involved with statewide and national support as publications director for the South Carolina Chapter of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM).  “The role of risk management has evolved over time,” said Karl Phaler, coordinator of clinical services, South Carolina Health Alliance and a past president of the South Carolina ASHRM.  “Unfortunately, as people have to wear more hats, they have less time to devote to risk management duties and be proactive in other areas like prevention and education.” But Pope manages to juggle her hats with great authority and skill. “It depends on which fires I'm dealing with that determine its priority,” she said. Pope works with other MUSC specialists including Occupational Safety Manager Joe Avant with University Risk Management. Avant and his crew help CMH manage specific safety issues from containing toxic spills and handling hazardous and biological waste to staff education.  Pope reports directly to CMH Administrator Thomas F. Moore, who reports to Stuart Smith, vice president for clinical operations and executive director for the Medical Center. Pope performs periodic assessment of  risks in the workplace, staff and patient safety education and leads overall compliance of regulatory guidelines.  CMH and the MUSC Medical Center recently completed the first step in survey activities in preparation for both facilities to undergo  evaluation and accreditation review by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) this fall. Charleston Memorial Hospital has successfully completed its document review which outlines the hospital's function and performance. The hospital has been managed by MUSC since 1990. “Each day is different,” Pope emphasized. For example, last Thursday was a risk management day, but today is more like a safety day as the staff prepares for an upcoming South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) visit. “I may have the title for the job, but it's the people and staff that have to perform risk management everyday,” Pope said. “It's their actions that promote a safe and quality work environment.”