Column: Patient safety takes collaboration

As a healthcare system, patient safety is at the forefront of our priorities every single day. During Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 10 to 16, we take a moment to amplify our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of every individual who walks through our doors. This year's theme, "Safer Together," embodies the collective effort required from providers, staff, patients, and family members to create a safe environment within our hospital.

Patients and visitors to Barton’s hospital and network of medical facilities might not realize the many systems and processes that take place behind the scenes to keep them safe during a visit to one of our facilities. Our teams across the organization have dedicated themselves to implementing system-wide practices and programs to reduce the risk of harm. We go above state and federal safety standards and the results are proof of Barton’s dedication to this important aspect of health care.

While patient safety is a hospital’s primary focus, patients play a role as well. Evidence shows that when patients are treated as partners in their care, remarkable improvements are made in patient satisfaction, safety, and health outcomes.

We encourage patients to become partners by being actively involved in their own healthcare; asking questions, understanding their treatment plans, and visiting their care team regularly for checkups, preventative screenings, and vaccinations. In addition to what happens inside the hospital walls, patients can further contribute to their health by adopting healthy habits, and prioritizing physical and mental health.

As a community, we can take pride in Barton’s commitment to patient safety, which has been recognized through numerous accolades and certifications, including Barton’s place on the Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals 2024 list; three Cal Hospital Compare’s Honor Roll placements for California hospitals excelling in patient safety, maternity care, and opioid stewardship; and ‘Exceptional’ performance in the Cynosure Health HQIC 2023 Sepsis Honor Roll Program, which recognizes our staff and physician’s commitment to addressing sepsis harm reduction and enacting sepsis prevention measures.

During Patient Safety Awareness Week, we reaffirm our collective responsibility to prioritize the safety and well-being of our patients. Through collaboration, vigilance, and continuous improvement, we can provide the highest standard of safe and effective healthcare services. Together, we are indeed safer.

Dawn Evans, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, PHN, CPPS, CPHQ, is the Director of Patient Safety, Quality, Infection Prevention, and Population Health at Barton Health. Consistently exceptional care isn't just our promise; it's in the proof. For more information on safety and quality measures at Barton, visit BartonHealth.org.