Patient Safety Awareness Week set for March 9-15
Patient Safety Awareness Week, sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, recognizes and celebrates the progress made in healthcare delivery, and advances discussions about the future of patient safety.
USA Health will celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week March 9-15 with a safety seminar featuring a national speaker, and safety fairs at all three hospitals.
Timothy McDonald, M.D., J.D., chief patient safety and risk officer for RLDatix and a professor of law at Loyola University in Chicago, will be the featured speaker at the seminar, which begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 10, in the University Hospital second-floor conference center. The event also will be livestreamed on Teams.
A physician-attorney and author, McDonald shared his experiences and insights on patient safety in a 2023 TEDx talk titled “Healing After Harm in Healthcare.” In the talk, McDonald advocates for full transparency in healthcare, in which organizations break down a “wall of silence” and create a culture of accountability and healing for patients, families and caregivers after harm in healthcare.
"Patient Safety Awareness Week is a vital reminder of our commitment to delivering the best patient-centered care possible,” said Becky Pomrenke, MSN, RN, director of patient safety at USA Health. “By fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we take meaningful steps toward our ultimate goal — zero patient harm."
Sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Patient Safety Awareness Week recognizes and celebrates the progress made in healthcare delivery, and advances discussions about the future of patient safety. The theme for 2025 is “Moving the Needle,” which emphasizes the importance of transforming awareness into tangible actions. RLDatix, a healthcare consultant, is sponsoring USA Health’s slate of activities.
The second speaker during the seminar, Blake Thompson of Airbus, will discuss how practices and principles applied by Airbus in the aerospace sector can be translated to improve safety outcomes in healthcare. Thompson’s talk begins at 10:45 a.m.
Continuing education credits will be provided.
During the week, safety fairs will be held at all three hospitals to provide education on a range of topics related to safety and performance improvement. They are planned for:
- Monday, March 10, at University Hospital from noon to 4 p.m. in the café conference room.
- Tuesday, March 11, at Children’s & Women’s Hospital from noon to 4 p.m. in the Panda Cares Room, formerly the first-floor Multipurpose Room.
- Wednesday, March 12, at Providence Hospital from noon to 4 p.m. in the DePaul Center
Last year, USA Health expanded its partnership with RLDatix, investing in a comprehensive suite of safety solutions to gain a 360-degree view of provider performance, and advance a culture of safety. The tools, which are being implemented this year, will allow USA Health to connect fragmented data for a meaningful understanding of its practice variability, enabling it to objectively assess performance, identify hotspots for improvement and advance a culture of safety.
To register for the seminar, click here.
