Leaders at Henry Ford Health System and Memorial Hermann Health System Awarded

As medical errors continue to exact large financial and human tolls across the country, leaders at the Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston) and the Henry Ford Health System (Detroit) have created cultures of safety that start with the executive-suite and extend throughout their organizations. The two organizations were recognized today as the inaugural winners of the National Health System Patient Safety Leadership Award.

Established earlier this year, the National Health System Patient Safety Leadership Award is a collaborative effort between the VHA Foundation, a private, not-for-profit organization focused on improving the health and healthcare of all Americans, and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), the nation's only non-profit organization of large employers devoted exclusively to finding innovative solutions to healthcare benefits issues.

"This award recognizes health systems where senior leaders are driving a culture that places the highest value on safety," said Linda DeWolf, president of the VHA Foundation. "The safety results these health systems are seeing clearly show that their approach to safety is saving lives."

"These healthcare systems have succeeded at creating a culture of safety, which is a fundamental ingredient for sustainable safety improvements," said Helen Darling, president of National Business Group on Health. "We hope this award encourages other health leaders to see the enormous impact they can make if they take an active role in patient safety."

The winning health systems were chosen out of applicants from across the nation by a panel of judges representing corporations, patient safety organizations, government and healthcare. Applicants were selected on criteria designed to highlight the leadership of healthcare systems in creating a culture of safety including: system-level commitment; board and senior leadership; system-wide alignment of patient safety resources and goals; improved patient outcomes and transparency in public reporting.

The Memorial Hermann Health System is a 3,365 bed, 11-hospital network located in Houston.

• The Board of the healthcare system has committed the time and resources to allow all employees to take part in safety trainings. All employees - more than 14,000 to date - have participated in "Breakthroughs in Patient Safety" (BIPS) training that teaches new work habits that protect patients from harm. During the training employees learn how errors occur while performing skill, rule and knowledge activities in complex environments.
• The organization is learning from other high-risk industries. Employees learn about a process borrowed from the aviation industry that empowers them to ask critical questions that bring attention to a team member who is about to deviate from the standard of practice.
• The health system engages patients and families to play a role in their own safety. Patient rooms include a poster encouraging patients to do a number of simple things to improve safety including asking anyone who enters the room to wash their hands. The poster also includes a phone number they can dial to activate the Rapid Response team.
• The organization was one of the first in the country to use its website to display quality results as a way to provide transparency to patients. An internal website allows executives and employees to continuously track the system's goals and performance, which the Board reviews on a regular basis.
• The health system has experienced a reduction in adverse safety events, including hospital acquired infections as a result of documented adherence to scientifically proven actions. One Memorial Hermann facility has not had an occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in 34 months.

About the VHA Foundation

The VHA Foundation, located in Irving, Texas, is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by VHA Inc. to encourage leadership and innovation solutions that address health and healthcare issues. The Foundation seeks the input and participation of both member and non-member healthcare organizations in its efforts to improve health and healthcare. The VHA Foundation funds programs that focus on two important health themes: leadership in patient safety and disaster relief.

The National Health Systems Patient Safety Leadership Award builds on VHA Foundation's commitment to support healthcare leaders in paths towards safer, more transparent hospitals. Earlier this year, the Foundation launched the Health Care SafetyNetwork, a program that is providing nearly 140 hospital CEOs nationwide with an experienced-based educational and networking opportunity to advance their confidence, knowledge and skills in patient safety.

About the National Business Group on Health

The National Business Group on Health is the nation's only non-profit, membership organization of over 300 mostly large employers devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to their most important healthcare and related benefits issues. The NBGH identifies and shares best practices in health benefits, disability, health and productivity, related paid time off and work/life balance issues. NBGH members provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families. Learn more about the National Business Group on Health.