Making systems work is the great task of our generation.

This quote is paraphrased from the ideas in Atul Gawande’s 2012 TED talk titled “How do we heal medicine?” (which by the way you should watch if you haven’t already), but in the setting of today’s discussion it feels more relevant than ever.

If my aforementioned pre-med life as an engineer sparked my interest in safety and quality, Gawande’s writing fanned the flames during medical school. When I started medical school, my incoming class was given a copy of his book Better to read before orientation. Now shortly after graduating from medical school it seems fitting that we’ve touched on the five suggestions he gave at the end of that book (ask an unscripted question, don’t complain, count something, write something, change).

As I enter residency, I’m happy to have found many sources of inspiration here in Marseille, including the… Continue reading →

It has been a wonderfully busy first day here at the eleventh annual gathering of the Academy for Emerging Leaders in Patient Safety: The Marseille Experience. As I sit down to review my notes and reflect on the discussions from the day, my mind wanders from the exhilarating views from the Marseille gondola to the emotional stories shared with and among the group. Where does one begin amidst all of the challenges, opportunities, and excitement in patient safety and quality improvement? Actually, the answer is easy: the truth north of why I came to Marseille in the first place.

Through the years, we have accomplished more when we have stayed focused on what matters most: providing medicines and vaccines that save and improve people’s lives.

Almost six years ago, I scribbled down this quote on the first day of orientation. But it wasn’t orientation for medical school or for any… Continue reading →