Ensuring your safety and the safety of your loved ones is our top priority at Southeast Georgia Health System. Our goal is to target zero harm while providing the highest quality of care to the community we serve.
“Crossing the Rubicon”—our journey to becoming a High Reliability Organization (HRO)
At Southeast Georgia Health System we began the journey towards becoming a High Reliability Organization (HRO) beginning January 2023. Highly reliable organizations are those who embrace collective mindfulness as they navigate high-stakes and complex processes, while avoiding preventable failures.
At SGHS, we pride ourselves with learning and adopting the concepts of such organizations. Collective mindfulness creates a culture that enforces HRO principles while speaking the same language of safety and proactively seeking out potential risks. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines the principles of HRO as the following:
- Preoccupation with failure. Everyone is aware of and thinking about potential for failure.
- Reluctance to simplify. People resist simplifying their understanding of work processes and how and why things succeed or fail in their environment.
- Sensitivity to operations. Based on their understanding of operational complexity, people in HROs strive to maintain a high awareness of operational conditions.
- Deference to expertise. People in HROs appreciate that the people closes to the work are the most knowledgeable about the work.
- Commitment to resilience. Commitment to resilience is rooted in the fundamental understanding of the frequently unpredictable nature of system failures.
Safety huddles
Our hospitals utilize safety huddles to enhance teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration. These meetings take place prior to the start of a shift to identify any issues and concerns that impact the safety of our patients. Solutions to addressing the concerns shared are discussed after the huddle and reported back to the larger group on a scheduled basis. This approach allows our organization to incorporate comprehensive and quick resolutions to identified concerns.
Leadership engagement & accountability
Our hospitals conduct monthly Quality and Patient Safety Operations Council (QAPSOC) meetings which fosters an environment of shared learning from safety vents identified from the previous month. Following event drill downs, the corrective action plans which outline the process improvement plan is shared with the council. This process enforces a culture of accountability and ensures the sustainability of action items created to prevent recurrence of similar events.