Safety doesn’t happen by accident–and it never will!

One of my friends recently shared a post on LinkedIn from a flight instructor that I think is well worth sharing here (which means you sort of have a homework assignment—but it will be worth it). Historically, leadership is considered something of a top-down undertaking. But the truth (particularly in healthcare) is that it is of critical importance that leadership permeate an organization. Everybody, either directly or indirectly, is influencing the quality of care and safety—every second, every minute, every hour, every day. In turbulent times, it is even more crucial that we be prepared to “coach up” the folks in our sphere of influence. Every individual improvement is an opportunity for improvement of the whole undertaking—they are, quite simply, the building blocks of our success.

So, I would ask you to check out Benjamin Smith’s “An Aviator’s Observations on Safety and Reliability – Foundations of a Reliable Safety Culture.”I think you’ll find his message inspiring and, hopefully, will inform your practice from here on out.

About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.