Healthcare Associated Infections, Leadership as a "Best Practice"!

 

December 15, 2013, 

Jorge Palacios

California Department of Public Health (CDPH-CHCQ-HAI)

Re: Leadership “Best Practices for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections”

Dear Mr. Palacious,

Once again, thank you and the entire staff at the California Department of Public Health for all that you do for the people of California.

 There was a very interesting argument on “Leadership” in healthcare on Linked-in, the comments led me to this work from England, they closely track the fourteen traits of leadership all U.S. Marines memorize in boot-camp. Upon having cultural issues in our humble machine shop we review them in a classroom setting, it has made a difference over the years, schools do not teach this vital survival tool.

 Again, back to a “Best Practice for the Prevention of HAI”, from what I have learned in my advocacy is that all the technology is useless without a highly motivated culture, muck like the Marines, the National Association of Critical Care Nurses(AACCN) seem to be on the same page.

 The U.S. Marines did not invent the fourteen traits of leadership nor did they invent the highly chaotic work place so copyright should not be a problem.

“The staff are not to blame”, Deming is on the same page, I learned it the hard way but I now accept is a truism.

 My interest is not directed at healthcare management, it should be used a “grid” for the healthcare practitioner to assume ownership of their process and decision’s that build confidence in proven processes and an environment of trust.  Healthcare management will follow the success bestowed in their staff via a shared interest in patient safety.

Once again, thank you, I really appreciate your and your staff’s patience with my advocacy for the Prevention of HAI in our Veteran’s Hospitals, I really appreciate it!

Best regards,

Michael H. Slavinski                                  http://h-a-i-5.blogspot.com

 

 

Https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/berwick-review-into-patient-safety

 

●●Patient safety problems exist throughout the NHS as with every other health care system in the world.

●●NHS staff are not to blame – in the vast majority of cases it is the systems, procedures, conditions, environment and constraints they face that lead to patient safety problems.

●●Incorrect priorities do damage: other goals are important, but the central focus must always be on patients.

●●In some instances, including Mid Staffordshire, clear warning signals abounded and were not heeded, especially the voices of patients and careers.

●●When responsibility is diffused, it is not clearly owned: with too many in charge, no-one is.

●●Improvement requires a system of support: the NHS needs a considered, resourced and driven agenda of capability-building in order to deliver continuous improvement.

●●Fear is toxic to both safety and improvement.

To address these issues the system must:

●●Recognize with clarity and courage the need for wide systemic change.

●●Abandon blame as a tool and trust the goodwill and good intentions of the staff.

●●Reassert the primacy of working with patients and carers to achieve health care goals.

●●Use quantitative targets with caution. Such goals do have an important role en route to progress, but should never displace the primary goal of better care.

●●Recognize that transparency is essential and expect and insist on it.

●●Ensure that responsibility for functions related to safety and improvement are vested clearly and simply.

●●Give the people of the NHS career-long help to learn, master and apply modern methods for quality control, quality improvement and quality planning.

●●Make sure pride and joy in work, not fear, infuse the NHS.

 

 

 

 

 

The picture, "Neem" cream production in Northern Ghana, Neem cream, made from an indigenous plant, is used as a mosquito repellant which carry malaria.   Picture via US Peace Corps volunteer.