Sim collaboration puts high reliability leadership to the test

High reliability leadership skills call for highly reliable training methods.  

UAB Clinical Simulation recently provided a location for UAB’s Center for Healthcare Management and Leadership, the School of Health Professions (SHP) and Press Ganey to deliver an immersive simulation experience for the center’s newly launched High Reliability Certificate program.  

The weeklong program, developed and facilitated by UAB and Press Ganey—an independent firm providing patient experience surveys, performance analytics and advisory solutions for health-care organizations—serves to enhance high reliability leadership skills for health-care executives with the ultimate goal of improving quality of care and patient satisfaction. 

According to the Center for Healthcare Management, the course “offers hands-on simulations and expert-led sessions to explore High Reliability Organization principles and their impact on safety, quality and operational outcomes,” with a focus on “leadership practices, harm awareness and operational strategies.” 

“The simulations occur on the second day of the course and allow participants the opportunity to practice and apply skills they’ve acquired during previous sessions, while reflecting on their performance during debriefing,” said Erin Blanchard, facilitator and SHP faculty member.  

And although simulation is only one component, the takeaways are vital. 

“By the end of the simulations, we hope that learners will be able to integrate high reliability principles into daily leadership practices by applying structured communication and prioritization techniques across various levels of huddles and high reliability purposeful rounding, all while fostering a culture of psychological safety and speaking up,” Blanchard said. 

The program will be offered three to four times per year, Blanchard added, led by her and fellow facilitator and SHP faculty member Michelle Brown, with Press Ganey consultants serving as content experts. 

“By combining the expertise of UAB and Press Ganey, this program will equip health-care leaders with the critical tools they need to implement high reliability principles, fostering safer and more efficient care delivery for patients and healthcare workers alike,” said Charles Hagood, managing partner at Press Ganey and UAB alum, in a UAB news release. “The data is clear: An organizational foundation of safety and quality utilizing high reliability principles demonstrably improves patient outcomes, staff engagement and elevates the entire human experience in health care.” 

“Simulation provides leaders at every stage of their career with a safe environment to practice, reflect and refine their approach to complex challenges,” said Marjorie Lee White, vice president for UAB Clinical Simulation. “By weaving simulation into leadership development, we help ensure that high reliability principles become daily habits, strengthening both the care we deliver and the teams who deliver it.” 

To learn how simulation can benefit your own team or department, email simulation@uabmc.edu. 

UAB Medicine’s Clinical Simulation program offers opportunities for individuals and teams across UAB Medicine and beyond to practice before they deliver care. We encourage all who provide and support patient care to “Sim First.” Together, we can put our patients’ safety first.