59th MDW kicks off patient safety initiative Published Nov. 9, 2015 By Staff Sgt. Michael Ellis 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- With a focus on patient safety, 59th Medical Wing leadership and staff met with industry-leading patient experience experts Oct. 20-22 in a bid to achieve a significant organizational milestone - to become a high-reliability organization. In the summer of 2014, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Mark A. Ediger, Surgeon General of the Air Force, sought an outside review aimed at bringing the industry's best practices to the Air Force medical system. He launched the Trusted Care safety science initiative with one purpose - to bring a proven high-reliability safety science program to the Air Force Medical Service. Air Force senior leaders decided to seek help from civilian experts with experience in helping hospitals improve their safety programs. Over the next year, military treatment facilities will implement the same methodology used at more than 800 civilian medical facilities. "Our ultimate goal is to provide trusted care to patients, to diagnose and implement new practices at Air Force military treatment facilities," said Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Bart Iddins, 59th MDW commander. "Because the 59th MDW provides medical care across San Antonio, the impact of the safety initiative will be felt throughout the community. "We owe our patients safe care and the perfect patient experience. We must leverage this opportunity to its fullest," he said. The initiative will take place in three phases. This initial visit marked the first step in a series of steps estimated to span 18 months. During the visit, the health care consultants toured wing facilities, conducted a diagnostic assessment by surveying the work climates and performed a common cause analysis. "This first visit primarily focused on reviewing records with patient safety and risk management staff," said Army Col. John Ekstrand, 59th MDW chief medical officer. After the diagnostic assessment visit, improvements will be implemented to promote a safety culture during the second phase. "We want to make it easy to do the right thing, and hard to do the wrong thing," said Jennifer Martin, a consultant with Healthcare Performance Improvement. The final phase will involve forming long-term habits and sustaining a safety culture, a vital step toward becoming a high-reliability organization, she added. "They will help identify gaps and develop sustainable solutions. They are not a one- or two-visit consulting firm we will never see again," Ekstrand said. "They have a track record of working with hundreds of health care organizations and improving the focus on patient safety."