Press Ganey Chief Safety and Transformation Officer Visits Inspira Health to Listen, Learn and Share Ideas

In her first official site visit as chief safety and transformation officer for Press Ganey, Tejal K. Gandhi, M.D., met with leaders from Inspira Health to learn more about the health system’s successful patient safety transformation. Using the science of High Reliability as a foundation and in partnership with Press Ganey, Inspira has developed a culture of safety that brought about a dramatic reduction in preventable serious harm.

“I’ve heard really great things about the work going on here at Inspira, particularly in the area of patient safety,” said Gandhi. “I came to listen and learn, and to think about how we can continue to work together to improve.”

Inspira began its transformation to become a High Reliability Organization in 2015. This initiative included the training of more than 6,000 Inspira employees and physicians in the leader behaviors and error prevention tools of high reliability; ensuring safety awareness through Daily Safety Briefings across the health system; leader rounding to engage staff about any unit-specific concerns; and the development of more than 200 trained, unit-based safety coaches. All of these elements comprise Inspira’s Safety Management System.

“We believe high reliability is the chassis. You can improve everything — patient safety, the patient experience, engagement — using the science of high reliability,” said Gandhi. “Through their commitment, Inspira has become a leader in the field by demonstrating how you can adopt high reliability across a large network. The field will learn from you.”

Gandhi, nationally recognized in patient safety, previously served as the chief clinical officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. In 2017, she was named to Modern Healthcare magazine’s “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.” She received her M.D. and Master of Public Health degrees from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and trained at Duke University Medical Center. She is also co-chair of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety.

“It was an honor to have Dr. Gandhi talk with our leadership team,” said John DiAngelo, president and CEO, Inspira Health. “We have created a culture of safety at Inspira and are eager to learn from Dr. Gandhi about how we can get even closer to our ultimate goal of zero patient harm.”

For more information about Inspira Health, please visit www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org or call 1-800-INSPIRA. To stay connected with Inspira announcements and work being done in the community, please join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Inspira is proud to be the Official Health Care Partner of the Philadelphia Wings professional lacrosse team.

About Inspira Health

Inspira Health is a charitable nonprofit health care organization and a regional leader in physician training, with approximately 160 medical residents and fellows in nine nationally accredited specialty programs. The system, which traces its roots to 1899, comprises three hospitals, a comprehensive cancer center, several multi-specialty health centers and a total of more than 150 access points. These include urgent care; outpatient imaging and rehabilitation; sleep medicine labs; cardiac testing facilities; digestive health and wound care centers; home care and hospice; and more than 30 primary and specialty physician practices in Gloucester, Cumberland, Salem, Camden and Atlantic counties.

Together with its medical staff of more than 1,300 physicians and other care providers, as well as more than 6,000 employees, Inspira Health provides evidence-based care to help each patient achieve the best possible outcome. Accredited by DNV Healthcare, the system’s clinical and support staffs are focused on providing quality care in a safe environment. For more information about Inspira Health, visit www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org or call 1-800-INSPIRA.