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Podcast

Beyond the incident: Using CRPs to build trust and reduce risk in senior living part 1

Podcast that introduces communication and resolution programs through a realistic fall scenario.

06/09/2026 · 2 minute read

Part one of Beyond the Incident: Using CRPs to Build Trust and Reduce Risk in Senior Living introduces communication and resolution programs (CRPs) through a realistic fall scenario and shows how quickly a routine event can escalate when staff speculate, vent, or unintentionally “seed” a narrative that families carry forward. The conversation breaks down what a CRP is (and isn’t): a proactive, disciplined approach that emphasizes early event identification, fact-based communication, thoughtful event analysis, team support, and when appropriate financial or non-financial resolution. 

The episode also explores why miscommunication is so costly in senior living claims. When documentation is thin or staff turnover is high, the story that emerges early often becomes the story that sticks and families may pursue litigation not only because something happened, but because they feel dismissed, unheard, or left in the dark. Guests Dr. Tom Gallagher and Austin Elkin share how CRPs help organizations respond in ways that protect trust, improve learning, and reduce downstream liability exposure. 

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Key takeaways

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Define CRPs as a proactive, disciplined response not a grievance process

CRPs don’t wait for a complaint or a lawsuit. They proactively identify events, communicate transparently without speculation, and coordinate follow-through so the organization responds consistently and credibly. 

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Avoid speculation and “short-staffed” narratives that can snowball into claims

Offhand comments and blame-shifting can create lasting misconceptions about what caused an incident. CRPs help teams stick to known facts while the event is reviewed preventing assumptions from becoming the default storyline.

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Rebuild trust early by pairing facts with empathy and emotional support

Families often carry guilt, grief, and anxiety especially after a fall. CRPs reinforce timely, caring communication that validates emotions, strengthens relationships, and can reduce the likelihood that frustration turns into formal claims.

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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