GBMC Wins National Patient Safety Award

The goal at GBMC is 'to treat every patient, every time as a loved one,' VP of patient safety says, after receiving national recognition.

Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) HealthCare Inc. was recently honored with the inaugural American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) Patient Safety Award — partnering with Datix — for GBMC’s organizational efforts to further patient safety.

GBMC was selected from many applicants nationwide for its use of Lean and Lean Daily Management to improve health outcomes for patients and reduce preventable harm such as infections, falls with injury and hospital acquired pressure ulcers. To qualify for the award, GBMC had to do the following:

• Demonstrate a new approach that has not yet gained national exposure
• Promote an organizational culture of safety
• Support collaboration with other providers and within the continuum of care
• Provide a system that can be replicated or adapted by other organizations

"Patient safety and quality are our highest priorities at GBMC HealthCare Inc. Receiving this recognition from an external authority, like ASHRM, is a substantial confirmation of the work we're doing to improve the safety and quality of patient care," said John Chessare, MD, president and CEO of GBMC Healthcare Inc. "We're very proud of our hard work and commitment to patient safety."

According to Carolyn Candiello, GBMC’s Vice President of Patient Safety, GBMC has realized such award-winning success because of the hard work invested by its dedicated staff members. “Since we started Lean Daily Management in April 2013, we have seen significant reduction in not only patient harm, but employee injuries, reduced waste and improved patient satisfaction. We measure our progress towards achieving our vision by our results in each of our four aims of Better Health, Better Care, Least Waste and Most Joy for those providing care,” says Candiello.

Candiello added that GBMC is honored to be recognized for the way the GBMC healthcare system utilizes Lean Daily Management to help promote a culture of safety, high reliability and engage our workforce in daily problem-solving. “Our leaders interact daily with our staff to provide guidance and support so they can provide care that meets our vision – to treat every patient, every time as a loved one,” states Candiello.