ABSTRACT

The implementation and evolution of an incident reporting system provide critical insights into an organization’s safety culture and directly impacts health outcomes. This presentation explores the transformation at UW Health Northern Illinois following the introduction of the Healthcare Event Reporting Online (HERO) system and the Good Catch Program, which have collectively strengthened the organization’s commitment to safety. Celebrating its one-year anniversary, the HERO system has been instrumental in impacting outcomes, highlighting the critical role of nurses play in transforming Safety Culture. The adoption of a Just Culture mindset has promoted psychological safety within the organization, shifting focus towards learning rather than punishment.
Presentation Objectives: 1.) Relate Patient Safety Reporting to improved nursing care and patient outcomes 2.) Discuss / Describe interventions designed to enhance patient safety culture 3.) Explain how Just Culture benefits both the organization and its employees, while also enhancing patient outcomes. The organization has seen a steady increase in reporting near-misses, unsafe conditions, and safety events by 92%, and a decrease in the internal Serious Safety Event Rate from 1.05% to 0.18% over 12 months. The number of patient safety events has increased from 350 events per month to 670 events monthly over the last 12 months.