At UW Health, Patient Safety is a key part of everybody’s job. One way the organization is able to offer safe, high-quality care, is with strong patient safety leaders who set goals, monitor safety and quality measures and continuously seek ways to improve, who create standardized work to reduce the potential for errors and who respectfully listen, provide feedback, and support and mentor staff.
During National Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 12-18, 2023, UW Health highlighted the exciting work across the health system that’s advancing patient and workforce safety, and recognized individuals who provide exemplary leadership and go above and beyond to improve patient safety in their work areas.
Joshua Ross, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine, and Nicholas Kuehnel, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine, were recognized by UW Health with 2023 Safety Leadership Awards.
Dr. Ross is the Chief Medical Officer for the American Family Children’s Hospital and UW Health Kids. He led the opening of the BerbeeWalsh Emergency Department expansion in November 2016, which not only realized the needed growth in physical facilities but also implemented innovative workflows to improve patient flow and care. His academic interests include using interprofessional simulation and EHR innovation to promote patient safety.
Dr. Kuehnel leads the UW Health Kids quality program as the inaugural Medical Director for Quality and Safety. In this role, he strives to work collaboratively with leaders and staff across the pediatric system of care while also integrating safety, quality, and experience efforts related to pediatric patients closely with the broader UW Health system.