As I reflect over the last week, I feel re-invigorated from the Telluride Maryland Experience. I am lucky to work at Boston Medical Center – a truly progressive, quality- and patient safety-oriented institution but know there is still much work to be done, both at the organizational level and of course, at the national level. I am particularly fascinated with the rigorous data analytics employed by MedStar (from Kelly Smith’s sessions), highlighting the importance of data-driven changes and the power of quality improvement to transform environments into cultures of safety over time. I will be pursuing a fellowship in general internal medicine where I hope to learn the research skills to process and analyze large datasets to help inform future policy, ranging from the institutional or organizational level to the state or national level; I aim to utilize these skills to help transform quality and patient safety.
The trip to Arlington National Cemetery was extraordinary; the ceremony by Rosemary at the top was poignant and remarkable, serving as an imperative reminder of the work that needs to be done. I feel honored to be a quality and safety physician champion.
As a medical field, we must learn from the many other industries (aviation, engineering, tech, nuclear, etc) who have continued to perfect system design and safety culture. Medicine must follow suit with each of us contributing our part to cultivate that culture of safety. With our generation of progressive and safety and quality-oriented leadership, we can shift the focus to a proactive approach rather than reactive to quality and safety. I look forward to staying connected with the many Telluride alumni throughout my career in medicine and beyond.