Risk Manager Remembered Through Donation to Sorry Works!

Sorry Works! was recently contacted by Illinois Risk Management Services (IRMS), which is part of the Illinois Hospital Association. IRMS' long-time Director of Claims and Risk Management - Mr. Sydney Gross - had passed away, and IRMS wanted to find a way to remember him. Syd was an early supporter of disclosure and apology, so IRMS chose to give Sorry Works! a $1,000 donation in Syd's memory. In appreciation, Sorry Works! provided to IRMS 100 copies of the Little Book of Empathy customized with a tribute to Syd along with his picture. IRMS distributed the customized books at their recent annual conference. Donations to Sorry Works! provide the support we need to continue producing our e-newsletters and to keep our website current and useful to our readers. The Sorry Works! e-newsletters are distributed weekly to over 3,000 healthcare, insurance, and legal professionals, and the Sorry Works! website receives over 600 unique visits per day. We encourage you to provide a donation by clicking this LINK.

Below is the tribute to Sydney Gross - we all need to follow Syd's example. We thank Illinois Risk Management Services for their generous donation in memory of their colleague and friend and we appreciate their continued support of disclosure and apology.

"Sydney A. Gross was a pioneer in the fields of risk management and patient safety. He helped to establish the Illinois Provider Trust in 1979 and served as the Director of Claims and Risk Management for the Illinois Provider Trust and Illinois Risk Management Services for 16 years. He advocated for early reporting of adverse events and embraced the philosophy of disclosure to patients long before it became the norm. He believed in early intervention to meet patients' concerns and being fair but firm. When patients are harmed, they need an apology and Syd always said, 'Don't be afraid to say you are sorry.'

Syd believed that a good risk management program does more than just minimize losses, but rather, it enhances quality patient care and safety. He was a leader and innovator in risk management and instilled in many of us a true appreciation of the value of proactive risk management.

He is greatly appreciated for his many years of service and contributions to the field of risk management, and will be greatly missed.

From his friends and former colleagues at Illinois Risk Management Services."