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Beyond the incident: Using CRPs to build trust and reduce risk in senior living part 2

Listen to part two of Beyond the incident: Using CRPs to build trust and reduce risk in senior living.

07/10/2026 · 2 minute read

Part two of Beyond the Incident: Using CRPs to Build Trust and Reduce Risk in Senior Living shifts from defining CRPs to showing what effective CRP communication looks like in practice, especially in the critical hours and days after an incident. Using the same fall scenario, the discussion outlines how timeliness and discipline work together: leaders don’t rush to judgment, but they also don’t allow silence to create space for assumptions, outside influence, and a hardened family narrative that becomes difficult to change.

The episode also offers a pragmatic roadmap for providers looking to implement CRPs in senior living: start with a gap analysis (because many organizations overestimate what they already have in place), invest in leader-focused training, and align early with key stakeholders including carriers, brokers, and counsel so responses are coordinated when an event occurs. Dr. Tom Gallagher and Austin Elkin also address common communication pitfalls (speculation, blame, confusing fact with opinion) and explain why the strongest CRP programs are leadership-led, measurable, and built to perform consistently under pressure.

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Key takeaways

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Move quickly enough to prevent assumptions from solidifying

CRPs emphasize timely outreach and follow-up. Every day that passes after an incident allows families to form and cement their own narrative, making trust harder to rebuild later.

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Lead with empathy early, then return with findings and prevention steps

Effective CRP communication starts with demonstrating care, expressing regret, and supporting emotions before the full review is complete then follows with a clear explanation of what was learned and what will change (or why care was appropriate).

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Implement CRPs as a system: gap analysis, training, and stakeholder alignment

Successful CRPs aren’t one-off “good conversations.” They require structure: assess current-state gaps, train leaders to communicate without speculation, and align insurers, brokers, and legal partners in advance to avoid confusion when an event occurs.

About our speakers

Portrait of Tara Clayton with white background

Tara Clayton

Managing Director, Marsh Senior Living & LTC Industry Practice

  • United States

Tara Clayton is the Practice Leader – Industry & Risk for Marsh’s Senior Living and LTC Industry Practice. In this role, she advises clients with strategic and tactical advice concerning effective general and professional claim resolution, risk management, and strategies to obtain maximum insurance coverage across lines of coverage. Tara’s expertise with complex litigation and creative risk management initiatives helps reduce costs, enhance value, and increase client control of their risk management programs.

Thomas Gallagher

Thomas Gallagher MD

Research Professor, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics

  • United States

Thomas H. Gallagher, M.D. is a general internist who is a Research Professor at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Dr. Gallagher’s research addresses the interfaces between healthcare quality, communication, and transparency. Dr. Gallagher has published over 160 articles and book chapters, which have appeared in leading journals. He is Executive Director of the Collaborative for Accountability and Improvement, an organization dedicated to the implementation of Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs) for responding to harm events in healthcare. He co-founded the Pathway to Accountability, Compassion, and Transparency (PACT), a national CRP learning community in which nearly 50 organizations have participated to date. In 2017, his work advancing CRPs was recognized with the receipt of the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award for Individual Achievement, presented by the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission.  He has also been PI of multiple AHRQ and foundation grants, starting with his K award from AHRQ in 2003. Dr. Gallagher also has faculty appointments at the University of Washington, where he is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and in the Department of Bioethics and Humanities.

Austin Elkin

Austin Elkin

Senior Vice President of Underwriting, Berkshire Hathaway

  • United States

Austin is a Senior Vice President of Underwriting within the Healthcare Professional Liability group at Berkshire Hathaway Special Insurance (BHSI). He serves as the Senior Care Practice Leader and is responsible for the underwriting strategy and execution for the Senior Care Professional, General, and Auto Liability product lines within the U.S. He has supported the Healthcare and Senior Living industries for over a decade providing solutions both as an underwriter and claims professional. Austin was a founding member of BHSI’s Healthcare group and has held positions at Zurich, Liberty Mutual, and Kaiser Permanente. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business with degrees in Finance and Risk Management and Insurance. BHSI is a global Property, Casualty, and Specialty lines insurer that was established in 2013. The company supports the senior living and long-term care industries by providing industry leading insurance solutions for professional and general liability, admitted primary auto, property, management liability, and various other lines of coverage. Backed by the balance sheet of Berkshire Hathaway and with an unwavering focus on delivering a customer-oriented claim experience, BHSI is a trusted partner for the senior living and long-term care industries.

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