Recognizing our Commitments to Patient Safety and Supporting our Workforce

This week is National Patient Safety Awareness Week. Although we provide education and activities in observance of the week, patient safety is woven into our culture year-round. I often highlight our four aims of better health, better care, least waste, and more joy. You’ll notice we always lead with the “better health” aim, which focuses on achieving the best health outcome as our highest priority. 

When a patient sees a healthcare provider or a person entrusts someone with their loved one’s care, safety should be a given. “Do no harm” is part of our Hippocratic Oath and is really what the patient safety movement is all about. 

In 2010, we built a robust quality improvement system and we have been measuring incidents of patient harm, studying their causes, and implementing improvement strategies since then. This involves analyzing hospital-acquired infections, complications, and serious adverse events, such as falls and pressure injuries. We encourage early and frequent reporting of safety incidents, adhering to the principles of just culture, where our goal is improvement rather than blame. 

I’d like to thank Carolyn Candiello, who has been our Vice President for Quality and Patient Safety since October 2010, as well as our entire Quality and Patient Safety team, for leading our efforts in patient safety. And, to reiterate the important message of this year’s national Patient Safety Awareness Week theme, “Safer Together,” I want to emphasize that ensuring patient safety isn't solely on the shoulders of individual healthcare professionals, but rather a collective responsibility of the entire healthcare system. 

I appreciate everyone on our team prioritizing patient safety and better health! 

Recognizing Our Human Resources (HR) Team 

The healthcare landscape has faced significant challenges in recent years, notably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in workforce shifts. Some individuals opted out of the healthcare industry, while others pursued alternative career paths, such as travel nursing rather than being employed by a specific hospital or health system. 

In recognition of Healthcare Human Resources Week, I want to thank our HR team, led by Anna-Maria Palmer, Chief Human Resources Officer, for their perseverance during the unprecedented changes in our market. Despite the difficulties, they, alongside organizational leaders, have positioned GBMC HealthCare as an attractive employer, which is evidenced by reduced turnover rates and decreased agency nursing. Our HR team has implemented various retention strategies, including structured interviews, a comprehensive onboarding guide, new-hire check-ins, and ongoing market evaluations for appropriate pay adjustments. 

Thank you to our entire HR team for your dedicated work in recruiting, retaining, training, and supporting healthcare professionals in this highly complex and evolving industry. 

I’d also like to take a moment to recognize a couple of additional departments and disciplines within our healthcare system. This week is National Pulmonary Rehab Week, so please be sure to thank our pulmonologists and respiratory therapists for their work to help patients who are suffering from lung disease acquire increased endurance, strength, and a better quality of life. March 13 was Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day, and I’m grateful to all our dietitians for their vital roles promoting health and wellbeing, addressing medical conditions, and supporting patients on their journey to recovery.