Honolulu--The Pacific Regional Medical Command (PRMC) held its High Reliability Organization (HRO) Summit, April 23-24, 2015, here, at the Hale Koa Hotel. The summit was hosted by the Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General and was focused on the U.S. Army Medical Command's (MEDCOM) goals of being the world's leader in high reliability healthcare and creating an effective culture of safety.
The event was attended by the highest levels of Army Medicine leadership which included: Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, U.S. Army Surgeon General (TSG) and Commanding General of U.S. Army MEDCOM, Maj. Gen. Jimmie Keenan, Deputy Commanding General-Operations (DCG-O), U.S. Army MEDCOM, Brig. Gen. Patrick Sargent, Commanding General, PRMC, and Command Sgt. Major Gerald Ecker, Command Sgt. Major, U.S. Army MEDCOM.
During the two day summit, Command Teams and key staff members from PRMC, along with military and civilian medical partners from throughout the region, took part in open forum discussions geared at understanding MEDCOM's expectations when it comes to providing the safest healthcare possible.
Horoho provided her vision for the way forward in high reliability healthcare and demonstrated Army Medicine's desire to foster a patient safety environment which achieves "Zero Preventable Harm".
"Safety is the fabric and the culture that we want across every aspect of the provision of care. Our pursuit of zero preventable harm is something that is doable. We have been successful in every single mission that we have ever undertaken and this is just one more mission that we are pursuing," said Horoho.
During the summit, leaders also discussed the common thread shared by the aviation and healthcare industries.
Both (medical and aviation industries) seek to repeatedly accomplish the mission while avoiding catastrophic events, despite significant hazards, dynamic tasks, time constraints, and complex technologies.
Sargent, a former Blackhawk pilot, says he is leveraging his aviation experience and training into Army Medicine today. "It's about communication, about collaboration and about a significant amount of understanding. In a cock-pit, you start talking about whose flying the aircraft or which way we are going to turn or which emergency procedure we are going to use, it's the same thing with the doctor, nurse or the medic as it relates to the delivery of care," said Sargent.
During her briefing, Horoho presented the audience an example chart which showed simulated patient safety data well into the upper ninetieth percentile and showed performance as being "Green."
It was this chart that had great impact when Horoho asked the audience to not think about the color green and high percentage of success but rather "think about the 2% that we could potentially being missing, any number under 100%, when it comes to patient safety, is not good enough."
The HRO philosophy for health care is predicated on the concept that each and every member of an organization has equal say in ensuring the safety of patients.
"The concept of the HRO has the preoccupation with doing things much more efficiently and more safely. So in my mind it will not only enhance the overall delivery and quality of care, but also enhance the proficiency of our medics and doctors when they go out into the battlefield and provide support to our men and women who are in harm's way" said Sargent.
An effective HRO requires a collective mindfulness, which can focus on identifying potential dangers, and that all members, from the doctors and nurses, to the housekeeping staff, communicate effectively; always willing to speak up and listen.
Horoho reinforced throughout the summit that Army Medicine has already been on the journey in becoming the world's leader in HROs but there is still room to improve in order to achieve "Zero Preventable Harm."
"I think what our beneficiaries can expect is what they have expected in the past. And that is compassionate, high-touch, high-tech care that is consistent in the patient experience. We've made a decision that we will never be satisfied in Army Medicine, we will continually look at how we will get better, because I believe those that have served our nation and the families that support them deserve the very best," said Horoho.
The PRMC Summit marks the fifth HRO conference held across the MEDCOM and brings the percentage of key Army Medicine Leaders who are now HRO trained to 100%.
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