An integral component of modern health care is engagement of health care professionals in continuous improvement efforts toward patient care. This is evident at local, national and even international levels. Reliable and safer care for our patients is the ultimate outcome, but the question is, how do we forge our path forward? Dr. Amir Ghaferi, a faculty member at both the medical and business schools at the University of Michigan, co-authored an article in the Harvard Business Review proposing a theory for the “next wave of hospital innovation to make patients safer.” The thought is that collectively we have reduced mortality in the past – first, through technology advancements, and subsequently through standardization of procedures. The next phase, the authors propose, is “high-reliability organizing.” This next stage, however, requires several components of behavior and change management and cultural evaluations, all requirements of effective leaders.
Given the call for leadership development,...