5 for 20 Episode 1: Culture First: "Building Stronger Risk Management in Senior Living,” featuring Erica Holman

In this episode of 5 for 20, host Peter Winterburn sits down with Erica Holman, risk manager and former nursing home administrator, to unpack how senior living organizations can build stronger, smarter risk management programs. Erica brings more than three decades of experience, sharing her unique blend of clinical and operational insight. She outlines how to build a program from the ground up—starting with how your facility handles complaints of abuse, neglect, and negligence—and how to avoid the common pitfalls that stall progress, such as working in silos or underestimating the value of proactive legal support. Listeners will hear how an inclusive team culture, strong documentation, and coordination with legal and QA teams can dramatically improve care outcomes and regulatory protection. Peter and Erica also explore the telltale signs of a healthy risk culture and why the best programs go far beyond compliance checklists.

• Where to start when developing or refreshing a risk management program 
• Why documentation and legal collaboration are essential 
• The most significant barriers to successful implementation—and how to overcome them 
• How QA, compliance, and risk management efforts intersect 
• What “success” looks like in risk management (hint: it’s not just fewer incidents)