New Training Helps Hospitals Reduce Legal Risk and Lower Costs After Medical Harm
Comms Corps Launches Certified Medical Harm Communicator Program Backed by Risk Management Research
RENO, Nev. (August 2025) — A new certification course developed by national healthcare experts is helping hospitals tackle one of the most costly—and emotionally charged—realities in modern medicine: how to respond when medical harm occurs.
Comms Corps has launched the Certified Medical Harm Communicator (CMHC) program to train clinicians, risk managers, and healthcare leaders to communicate clearly, compassionately, and legally-soundly after a medical error or adverse event. The CME-accredited course is grounded in best practices from both patient safety science and risk mitigation strategy—and offers an urgent solution as institutions face growing scrutiny over how they handle harm
The financial stakes are high. According to the CRICO Strategies national malpractice database, more than 25,000 medical malpractice cases are filed in the U.S. each year. Communication failures are a contributing factor in up to 30% of those claims—and are tied to $1.7 billion in malpractice payouts over a five-year span (CRICO, 2015–2020). Further studies show that hospitals with structured harm response programs, including disclosure and apology training, see fewer lawsuits, quicker case resolution, and lower indemnity payments.
“Effective communication isn’t just good practice—it’s good business,” said Kyle Sweet, JD, co-founder of Comms Corps and a national expert in healthcare risk and litigation strategy. “The CMHC training helps institutions reduce preventable legal exposure and avoid the cascading costs of a poorly handled harm event.”
The CMHC curriculum includes:
• Practical roadmaps for guiding disclosure and apology discussions
• Strategies to align transparent communication with legal protections and requirements
• Training to strengthen self-awareness and resilience for frontline communicators
• Systems and practices to integrate patient-centered communication into organizational safety culture
At a time when preventable medical harm remains a leading cause of death—and one of the most expensive—healthcare leaders are looking for upstream solutions. A Johns Hopkins study estimates that 250,000 deaths occur annually due to medical errors, and poor communication often compounds the harm.
“We’ve spent decades building clinical protocols to reduce harm—but we’ve neglected the human conversations that come after,” said Leilani Schweitzer, CEO/co-founder of Comms Corps and a nationally recognized expert in medical harm communication. “This training closes that gap. We’re not interested in the blame game. Hospitals need to restore trust and protect the institution through transparency.”
The CMHC program is open to physicians, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, social workers, dentists and pharmacists. CMEs are available, and custom group training is available for hospital systems and insurers.
Hospitals that invest in this training are reducing risk, they’re leading with accountability, and preparing for changing regulatory requirements.
For interviews, partnership inquiries, or program materials, or contact Leilani@CommsCorps.com.
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About Comms Corps
Founded by Leilani Schweitzer and Kyle Sweet, JD, Comms Corps equips healthcare professionals to respond with empathy, clarity, and legal integrity after medical harm. Through evidence-based training and systems-level support, Comms Corps helps institutions reduce risk, lower costs, and lead with transparency.
Sources:
• CRICO Strategies, Malpractice Risks in Communication Failures: 2015–2020. Mello, M. M., et al. (2014). “Communication-and-resolution programs: the challenges and lessons learned.” Health Affairs, 33(1), 30–37. Makary, M.A., & Daniel, M. (2016). “Medical error—the third leading cause of death in the US.” BMJ, 353, i2139.
