Mission Critical
Lessons from a lifetime thinker and doer At just 7 years old, Story Musgrave faced a crisis that tested his critical thinking. While pretending to… Read More »Mission Critical
Designing Safer Systems
36 hours. Unlimited possibilities to transform health care.
Imagine this. You are locked in Turner Concourse for 36 hours with relative strangers, tasked with creating a project that will revolutionize health care. Now… Read More »36 hours. Unlimited possibilities to transform health care.
Radiology’s Quality Improvement Committee: A Formula for Success
"That’s how it’s always been done" is a phrase you will not hear uttered in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at The Johns… Read More »Radiology’s Quality Improvement Committee: A Formula for Success
“War Gaming” for Patient Safety
Over a decade ago, I consulted on a project for the U.S. Air Force involving very large-scale simulations. These "war games" involved more than 1,500… Read More »“War Gaming” for Patient Safety
How We Can Engineer a Less Costly Health Care System
If we want to rein in the costs of the U.S. health-care system — now equal to nearly 18 percent of the nation's gross domestic… Read More »How We Can Engineer a Less Costly Health Care System
Reinventing the Physical Exam
In the technology-thick landscape of modern health care, the physical exam remains in a backwoods. Sure, there have been advances — blood-pressure cuffs, for example,… Read More »Reinventing the Physical Exam
How the Flint Water Crisis Is a Cautionary Tale for Health Care
There has been no shortage of blame for the poisoning of Flint, Michigan's water supply. In March, a governor-appointed task force issued a report that… Read More »How the Flint Water Crisis Is a Cautionary Tale for Health Care
Seeking the Right Stuff for Teams: In the Hospital or Distant Space
Wanted: Talented, highly driven individuals to take on multiyear work assignment with potential for benefiting humankind. Requires the highest levels of technical skill, teamwork and… Read More »Seeking the Right Stuff for Teams: In the Hospital or Distant Space
Patient Safety at 15: How Much Have We Grown?
Fifteen-year anniversaries often come and go without fuss, overlooked in favor of those we can mark in full decades. Yet recently, at Johns Hopkins and… Read More »Patient Safety at 15: How Much Have We Grown?
Five Steps to Innovative Solutions for Health Care Improvement
In my role as the patient safety innovation coordinator for the Armstrong Institute, I spend a lot of time helping clinicians improve processes in health… Read More »Five Steps to Innovative Solutions for Health Care Improvement