Building Safety System Capability at ISLHD

Graduates have completed a 12-month program of applied learning and delivered strategically important safety improvement projects including reducing hypoglycaemia hospital acquired complication trends, increase infant screening via My Blue Book and improving rates of ordering Computerised Tomography Pulmonary Angiograms in emergency departments. The projects were supported by a diverse local faculty of safety and quality experts.

With the first cohort complete, the second is now underway. Graduates of the first cohort are valuable additions to support participants of the second cohort and more generally broaden and diversify ISLHD's safety improvement infrastructure.

ISLHD have been energetic partners, driving local progress and contributing to state-wide learning at all stages.

As an early adopter, the ISLHD team sought partnership support from CEC to develop and mentor existing local safety and quality experts into their first faculty, with the confidence, resources and frameworks to facilitate learning by drawing on their real-world experience.

Through the partnership the CEC and ISLHD have positioned the initial faculty as the tip of an iceberg that continues to develop and support safety improvement capability through both formal learning opportunities and in daily practice at the point of care.

ISLHD has a well-established and ever-growing local faculty that show great commitment to the program and have high-level expertise. We have been very impressed with the range of support offered by the CEC to develop our faculty members. Any learning opportunities that the CEC offer have been taken up quickly by our faculty members and have been extremely valuable for their professional development. The CEC Academy members have been extremely helpful. Their support and guidance has been greatly valued. It's provided ISLHD with the confidence to implement and coordinate a very successful Applied Safety and Quality Program.

CEC has sought to develop, mentor and connect new faculty locally and across NSW.

The Accelerated Program has been a key faculty development initiative, designed to build consistency and confidence of local faculty in how they can facilitate the learning of a range of safety and quality improvement modules.

Gen Langron, CEC Academy Safety Systems Capability Implementation Lead, was aligned to ISLHD as their Implementation Mentor. As a Mentor, Gen was available for on-the-ground and virtual support. This included co-facilitating, observing and debriefing with local faculty on modules across the 12-month program.

The locally tailored implementation support has been complemented by the state-wide learning networks.

The faculty development program was designed to support the expertise and experience that already existed in local faculties, by highlighting important aspects of Pathway programs.

Mentoring the ISLHD team was inspiring – their coordination and support for participants was excellent, and the local faculty always brought infectious passion and joy. This translated to the participants who made real impacts with their teams, patients and services, and graduated with ambitions to continue enhancing safety and quality in ISLHD. I have to acknowledge Gaye, Gab and Kylie whose local leadership for the program made it all happen.

ISLHD has successfully graduated their first cohort from the Applied Safety & Quality Program, with participants from a range of clinical specialties.

Of greater value is the continued growth, connection and development of the local faculty.

Hallmarks of success in ISLHD, has been the passion of the existing local faculty and the energy of the Applied Safety & Quality Program graduates to continue their journey as members of an ever diversifying and broadening infrastructure for learning and improvement.

This depth and breadth of capability and passion to support safety improvement is what will enable ISLHD to achieve meaningful outcomes for patients, staff and the system.

Meets Future Health priorities:

• Safe care is delivered across all settings
• Our staff are engaged and well supported

Meets CEC Strategic Plan priorities:

• Embedded Safety Systems
• Safety Priorities and Programs

This is an excellent program. The content is delivered in a logical sequence. The CGU were amazing facilitators, they were not only knowledgeable but encouraging...I feel very lucky to have participated in such a great program.

I really valued these sessions, every facilitator was clearly an expert in their field and so passionate about their work.

Being a part of an LHD with these incredible people at the helm of CGU and Patient Safety and Quality is a privilege.

I was surprised at how relevant all the sessions were to my role and took so much away from every session.

The CEC Team:

• Ian Richards, Principal Lead Safety System Capability
• Karen Patterson, Director Capability & Culture (CEC Exec Sponsor)
• Sonya Bubnij, Curriculum & Faculty Development Program Lead
• Genevieve Langron, Safety System Capability Implementation Lead
• Jacqueline Hampton, Safety & Improvement Programs Lead
• Melanie Donat, Governance, Evaluation & Quality Assurance Project

Partners

• Kylie Wright, Director Clinical Governance (ISLHD Exec Sponsor)
• Gaye Sykes, Senior Manager, Quality Systems and Improvement
• Gabrielle Di Pietro, Applied Safety & Quality Program Coordinator