Building a Culture of Safety in Health Care

A Letter from AHA Leaders on Infection Prevention and Control

As a leading health care organization serving hospitals and health systems across the country, the American Hospital Association continually looks for opportunities to gain feedback from our members so we can effectively meet their needs. We know that being a good listener builds trust, nurtures relationships and creates opportunities for positive changes.

In health care, listening helps us identify challenges, share what’s working, improve outcomes and create better patient experiences.

That’s why AHA conducted a series of listening sessions with health care workers from across the field to discuss the state of infection prevention and control. Conversations focused on everyday infection prevention and control risks, interventions, insights and lessons learned. We talked about empowering frontline teams, getting back to the fundamentals of infection prevention, and designing and deploying new practices and protocols. We also talked about the role of leadership and a culture of safety that recognizes health care workers are human and when we work together, we can minimize errors and maximize quality.

We are pleased to share highlights from the infection prevention and control listening sessions in this special report. We thank everyone who participated for their honesty and compassion.

Patient safety and quality of care are at the core of what we all want to achieve in health care. They are powerful drivers for creating a just society of healthy communities, where all individuals reach their highest potential for health.

View the entire report below.