DGMC receives DoD Team Performance Patient Safety Award

  • Published
  • By Peter Gaudet
  • 60th Medical Group
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Department of Defense announced Dec. 6 the David Grant USAF Medical Center as recipient of the 2006 Team Performance Patient Safety Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in creating a safer patient environment.

Dr. William Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, will present the award at the annual DoD Medical Health Service conference in January.

This is the highest honor within DoD recognizing quality healthcare services for a Military Treatment Facility.

DGMC is being recognized for their sustainment and reinforcement of TeamSTEPPS training for all personnel assigned.

National statistics identify communication and teamwork as causal factors with mistakes resulting in negative outcomes at hospitals.

"The leadership of the 60th Medical Group aggressively championed the initiative to train, and sustain training, all assigned medical personnel with clinical team skills and tools," explained Col. (Dr.) Linda Lawrence, chief of the DGMC medical staff. "The objective was to provide all staff the necessary skill set for improved communication within the clinical arena providing a more cohesive team environment."

The two tools DGMC leadership used were TeamSTEPPS training and the building of a Clinical Simulation Laboratory.

The hospital teams continually measured results from a baseline 2005/2006 DoD patient safety survey, which resulted in a continual and steady increase in overall communication.

DGMC has observed the combination of aggressive TeamSTEPPS training, coupled with the sustainment training through the simulation center, has provided foundational learned skill sets in clinical communication and teamwork, resulting in a reduction in medical mistakes or mishaps.

"This is a great honor for David Grant and is reflective of the hard work and emphasis placed on patient safety and creating a patient safety culture within our organization over the past year and a half," said Col. (Dr.) Lee Payne, 60th Medical Group commander.

"While this was initiated by leadership, it has been embraced by everyone in our organization, which is the key to keeping the safety of our patients paramount," Colonel Payne said. "We are not finished with this journey by any means, and we must stay vigilant in our efforts to make every encounter as safe as possible for our patients."