SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The 52nd Medical Group are selected as recipients of the 2020 Advancement toward High Reliability in Healthcare Award winners for their culture of safety discipline.
The award is for their project titled “Provider Recharge Initiative to Decrease Provider Burnout,” which was a six-month project with a goal to reduce exhaustion by implementing an initiative that taught skill and building team cohesion and trust.
“This award was definitely a team effort, and I want to thank our 52nd MDG team for their hard work as well as recognize the overwhelming support from the staff and leadership teams who supported the project by protecting staff time, allowing for participation or providing funding for the project,” said Col. Alisha Smith, 52nd MDG commander. “The staff dedicated significant effort and time to identify the problem and create a program to address the problem. They have seen significant success since initiation and continue to revise and enhance the program to increase its effectiveness.”
Over the past several years, the Department of Defense has placed a considerable amount of effort into transforming the Military Health System to what is commonly known as a high reliability organization with an ultimate goal of providing high quality care to our patients, while minimizing preventable harm to them.
As a result, the Advancement toward High Reliability in Healthcare Awards Program now exists to help recognize those who have demonstrated commitment to developing and implementing systems or processes that help promote a focus on continued process improvement in a health care setting.
The award is a significant achievement in the medical field and it means a lot for the 52nd MDG and its personnel.
“As the 52d Medical Group Commander, I am extremely proud to have the efforts of our Airmen being recognized,” Smith said. “This project was just one example of the numerous initiatives and improvements taking place every day in our facility as I challenge them daily to identify problems and take the initiative to address them.”
The squadron plans to continue to cultivate a culture focused on high-quality, safe patient care as a top priority, Smith said.