Implementing a patient safety alert system™

Abstract

▶ Virginia Mason Medical Center, established in 1920, is an integrated health care system located in Seattle, Washington. The organization consists of a 336-bed tertiary care hospital, a 400-member multispecialty group practice located at 10 ambulatory sites; 5,000 staff members contribute to Team Medicinesm. ▶ In 2002, Virginia Mason Medical Center adopted the Toyota Production System as its method for delivering health care with continuously improving ("Kaizen") safety, quality, and efficiency. ▶ One of the most important management principles in this system is stopping the line. It is the prime responsibility of each senior leader to halt any activity and go to the production "line" to correct the defect and implement a mistake-proof process. ▶ This information was delivered at the 6th Annual National Patient Safety Congress in Boston (2004).