Fifteen years ago, a child named Josie King died at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a preventable medical error caused her to develop a fatal infection. But the tragedy that Josie’s family suffered turned out to be transformational in the culture of Johns Hopkins Medicine, and many other medical institutions. Learning from such medical mistakes became a focus at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and that led to the formation of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Its director, Dr. Peter Pronovost, is a MacArthur Fellow who is internationally recognized for his innovations in improving the safety of patients while they are in the hospital. Dr. Pronovost joins Tom on the phone from his office in Baltimore.
Read more about programs to improve patient safety in a special issue of DOME.
