Safety is the cornerstone of every patient’s experience. In fact, according to patients nationwide, the top three things they want and expect upon entering a healthcare facility are to be kept safe, to be healed, and to be treated nicely – in that order.

Building upon its safety culture, Sacred
Heart Health System is working to make its facilities as safe as possible by training staff and physicians in specific error-prevention techniques. In January 2008, Sacred Heart Health System partnered with Healthcare Performance Improvement Inc. (HPI) to assess the current safety culture at Sacred Heart and to train all physicians and staff on error-prevention procedures that have proven effective in other high-risk industries, such as nuclear power, aviation and manufacturing.

Sacred Heart Health System is part of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest, non-profit Catholic health system. Built with the mission to provide high quality, compassionate care to all, Ascension Health is called to provide healthcare that is safe, healthcare that works, and healthcare that leaves no one behind. Patient safety is a true teamwork initiative and everyone in the Health System is accountable for patient safety.

“The effort would have been incomplete without a commitment from the physicians to practice error-prevention techniques along with the staff,” said Deanie Lancaster, VP, Quality, Risk and Patient Safety. “The collaboration of our medical staff is necessary, because with it, 100 percent of the care team is committed to eliminating behaviors that result in medical errors.”

Sacred Heart associates chose to focus on the following behaviors to increase safety and help prevent errors:

Demonstrate 200 percent accountability for self and co-workers for safety and error-prevention.
This technique encourages co-workers to check each other’s work to ensure safety procedures are being followed. When any associate is faced with an uncertain situation, he or she is trained to ask questions, request a change, voice a concern and, if needed, to invoke the chain of command to correct the unsafe situation.

Communicate clearly and concisely in written, verbal and electronic communication, especially when transferring patients’ care during shift changes or department transfers.
In support of current safety initiatives including repeat back or read back methods that verify verbal or written instructions, associates are being encouraged to use specific, standardized tools to facilitate the communication process and to ask clarifying questions before taking action.

Pay attention to details.
This behavior calls for associates to Stop, Think, Act and Review (STAR) – especially in regard to frequently performed tasks. This safety method is a mental “time-out” designed to focus your attention on the critical details of a task.

Since safety is the number one priority according to patients nationwide, it is easy to see why patient safety and the overall patient experience are highly correlated. According to the nation’s first standardized, publicly reported survey that captures the patients’ perception of the care received, 9.5 out of 10 patients at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast say they would "definitely recommend" the hospital to others. Based on this measure, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast has the highest rating among hospitals in Northwest Florida and places in the top five percent of hospitals nationwide regarding the overall patient experience.
For more information about Sacred Heart, please call (850) 278-3600 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.
###