NEWS RELEASE
MYMICHIGAN HEALTH
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At 9:30 a.m. each day, 365 days of the year, key leaders at MyMichigan Medical Center Sault gather to review one of the most important topics in health care – patient safety. The 15-minute daily safety briefings help to identify, address and resolve safety issues of concern in a timely manner.
“A key component in improving patient safety in any organization is to foster a culture of safety,” said Kevin Kalchik, president, MyMichigan Medical Center Sault. “Our daily briefings offer a quick way for departments impacted by other areas to hear the issue and take the critical information back to their staff. We have been doing these briefings for several years, even prior to our affiliation with MyMichigan Health. And, with just a few minutes of focus each morning, they have helped us produce positive results for our patients.”
Led by senior leadership, during the meetings, representatives from each Medical Center department, often a manager or other designee, gather in a conference room and a roll call begins during which attendees report the safety status of their area. The goal of the daily safety briefing is to provide excellent safe care to patients offering nothing but the best by doing the right thing, each time, every time and this is recited by the team prior to roll call. Offsite facilities, such as home care and urgent care also are required to attend. For those unable to attend in person, a conference line is made available for staff to call in.
“The meetings move quickly and those in attendance are often standing. With all departments present, representatives can connect for a huddle following the meeting to dive into the details of the issue at hand and begin problem solving immediately,” said Nicole Oliver, R.N., vice president of nursing, MyMichigan Medical Center Sault. “The sheer ability to have face-to-face contact eliminates the need for multiple emails and voicemails, which often leads to unnecessary time that is wasted - time that is vital in ensuring our patients’ safety.”
Daily safety briefings occur at the same time each day not just in the Sault, but all MyMichigan Health Medical Centers located in Alma, Clare, Gladwin, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw, Standish, Tawas, Towne Centre and West Branch.
“No issue is too small to be addressed. By meeting seven days a week, issues are being resolved usually that day,” continued Oliver. “Being transparent is key to the success of this program. It’s become part of our culture, and it’s working. Our daily safety briefings empower employees to think about safety at all times and to freely share information about issues or concerns without fear of reprisal. In fact, the briefings have become essential to our progress toward proactively preventing risks at every level. They are truly making a positive impact on the safety of our patients, as well as the quality of health care that we deliver.”
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