The second day of the ninth annual Telluride Summer Patient Safety Camp has come to a close. From the beginning of the camp experience I have felt inspired by the leadership and passion of the faculty and of the participants. These leaders are informing and shaping the future of healthcare without a doubt. We as a group have explored the face of medical error by watching videos and presentations of people impacted by medical error in a very lasting way. I would like to offer my immense appreciation for the COURAGE and sharing of stories by families of patients! We are learning from these experiences that in the review of serious safety events, the event analysis is not complete without the patient or family telling of their story as they are the most important part of the healthcare team. Likewise, healthcare professionals and leaders must develop COURAGE to nurture a patient safe culture in their healthcare communities. Courage, the characteristic of mind and ability to act when facing difficulties, is foundational to patient safety and is central to a recurring message from safety leaders involved with this camp: “How we respond defines who we are.” The importance of developing mindful, interactive teams that communicate using high-performance techniques has also been emphasized in the beginning of the camp. I look forward to continuing to be part of the robust conversations that are occurring in beautiful Telluride.
