Several decades ago, people realized that healthcare delivery must become more complex in the future. There needed to be a significant paradigm shift that came with establishing High Reliability Organizations (HROs). Such organizations were developed to operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods without serious accidents. They cultivate resilience by prioritizing patient safety over other performance pressures (Levine et al., 2020). These healthcare organizations have shifted in the way HROs view errors. Unlike several decades ago, HROs consider any appearing errors an organizational issue and not a personnel incompetency one (Oster, 2016). The change of perspective needed to be made within the healthcare industry because of the many preventable errors occurring. A medical error is now addressed from the administrating process’s point of view without pointing fingers at specific personnel members.
Currently, the Leapfrog Safety Grade (LSG) for Timpanogos Regional Hospital (TRH) is an A. Compared to previous years, TRH has improved over the years, going from grades B and C in 2017/2018 to straight A in 2019 (“Leapfrog hospital safety,” n.d.). TRH scores above average in the infection and surgical issues tab, error prevention, and safety problems. Although it received low grades for insufficient numbers of intensivists and scoring average for nurse communication with patients, effective leadership in preventing errors, adequate qualified nurses, communication with physicians, and staff responsiveness rated above average. Evidently, TRH has a variety of strengths that involve the delivery of patient care and nurse communication. However, some physicians find it challenging to adapt to the charting system essential for patient safety. Overall, knowing the facility and its workers, I believe TRH complies with the given grade. I have and will continue to recommend TRH to friends and family as I know the hospital’s interworkings and its high integrity.
References
Levine, K. J., Carmody, M., & Silk, K. J. (2020). The influence of organizational culture, climate, and commitment of speaking up about medical errors. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(1), 130-138. Web.
Leapfrog hospital safety grade. (n.d.). The Leapfrog Group. Web.
Oster, C. (2016). High reliability organizations: A healthcare handbook for patient safety & quality. Sigma Theta Tau.