Mayo Clinic Key In To Quality

Every day, patient safety events and near misses happen in health care. But are we truly learning from them? In this episode of Key In To Quality, Mayo Clinic’s Jennifer Cowart, M.D. Chair, Patient Safety in Florida and Joe Nienow, manager of Mayo Clinic Patient Safety Systems, share how a team of experts turned a clunky, outdated incident reporting system into a transparent, user-friendly engine...

Needlesticks and bloodborne pathogen exposures are more than just workplace injuries. They’re personal, emotional, and preventable. With thousands of cases reported annually in U.S. hospitals, addressing this issue is critical to staff safety and organizational culture. On this episode of Key In To Quality, Melanie Swift, M.D., Associate Medical Director for Occupational Health, and Seth Clarenbac...

Workplace culture, data insights, and emotional connection all play a critical role in how patients and staff experience care. At Mayo Clinic, understanding and improving these elements is essential to advancing quality. On this episode of the Key In To Quality podcast, Sunanda Kane, M.D. Chief Patient Experience Officer at Mayo Clinic, returns to share how her team is tackling the complex interpl...

What truly defines a great patient experience? From appointment scheduling and facility navigation to virtual visits and provider communication, every step plays a role in how patients feel, trust, and heal. In this episode of Key In To Quality, Mayo Clinic’s Chief Patient Experience Officer, Sunanda Kane, M.D. joins co-hosts Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. and Sheri Nemec to discuss how Mayo Clinic is...

Design thinking involves asking big questions and thoroughly examining problems. It's a different approach compared to traditional medical training, where doctors are trained to quickly assess situations and come up with solutions.   On this episode of the Key In To Quality podcast, our guest Allison Matthews walks us through how human-centered design principles can be applied to the patient exper...

Industrial hygiene in healthcare is essential due to the unique and often surprising varieties of hazards present—from chemical exposures and airborne pathogens to ergonomic challenges and noise levels.   In this episode of Key into Quality podcast, entitled “Hazards in Healthcare: Exploring Industrial Hygiene with an Expert” our guest Jeff Nesbitt, supervisor, Industrial Hygiene, Mayo Clinic, dis...

Dizziness is a common reason for physician visits, especially in people over 70, and can lead to falls and hospitalizations. In response, Mayo Clinic established a dedicated vestibular therapy team to provide specialized physical and occupational therapy for hospitalized patients.   In this episode of Key In To Quality podcast, our guests Allison Grunst, P.T., D.P.T., Leanne Pataky, P.T., D.P.T.,...

Hospitals commonly use huddles to create staff alignment on a wide range of operational, clinical, and other topics and functions. However, not all huddles are delivering the desired effect of lasting impact and full staff engagement. Experts agree that one fundamental requirement of creating a safety culture is having a preoccupation with safety built into every workday.   In the latest Key In To...

In 1989, American author Stephen Covey published the popular business book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In it, he presents the second habit: begin with the end in mind. Those working in healthcare today know that concept applies to patient care. There are a myriad of opportunities to examine historical practices and data with future quality and safety improvements in mind. Mortal...

Are you passionate about the future of healthcare and eager to learn how proactive strategies, real-world success stories, and cutting-edge innovation are revolutionizing nursing? Here’s a chance to hear inspiring ideas to use at your hospital or clinical practice. This recent episode of Key into Quality podcast, entitled “The Future of Safety in Nursing: Voices from the Frontline,” hosted guests...

Looking to create lasting change in your healthcare team’s approach to hand hygiene? Dive into this episode of  Key in to Quality , a Mayo Clinic podcast exploring the impactful topic of hand hygiene with insights from frontline experts. Dr. Melissa Cortez, a hospitalist, and Adam Whitford, an infection prevention expert, share firsthand experiences from Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus on leadin...

Logistical robots are transforming the way hospitals operate, from easing supply transport to enhancing staff efficiency. While these innovations can streamline tasks, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care, they can also introduce some potential safety concerns. The latest episode of the  Key In To Quality podcast , entitled “Robotics Rx: Revolutionizing Healthcare, Safel...

Battling healthcare’s rising trend:  workplace violence Stemming patient and staff injury in healthcare environments involves more than preventing falls and infections. The alarming rise in violence faced by healthcare providers has forced hospitals and health systems to focus on a critical yet often overlooked issue in healthcare—workplace violence. Entitled “Tackling Workplace Violence in Health...

Focus on Staff Ergonomics: Preventing injuries, boosting productivity Many healthcare jobs are physically demanding. Few things slow patient care and negatively impact productivity and financial performance than on-the-job injuries. Prevention is the key. In the latest episode of Key in to Quality podcast entitled “ Staff Ergonomics: Keeping care givers in ‘fighting form’ ,” guest Nick Smith, CPE,...

In today’s high-pressure healthcare environment, the well-being of patients and staff is paramount. Yet, a growing concern is emerging within hospitals across the country—rude and violent behavior from patients and visitors that disrupts the quality of care and threatens the safety and morale of healthcare professionals. In the latest Key In To Quality podcast entitled “ Addressing Abusive Behavio...

In 1895, while experimenting with a cathode, scientist Wilhelm Conrad Renton, discovered X-rays, which opened a whole new world in medical imaging. For the first time, physicians could see inside the human body without dissection!  In the latest episode of Key in to Quality podcast entitled “ Radiation Safety: Protecting patients and providers ,” our guest, Glenn Sturchio, Ph. D., director, Health...

The COVID pandemic presented numerous challenges, from managing virus spread and evolving treatment protocols to dealing with misinformation and supply shortages. These pressures—and those since including financial losses and shortage of care givers—have severely tested healthcare workers' resilience, impacting their ability to support their teams and patients effectively.  On the latest episode o...

In healthcare, quality is not optional; it’s imperative. However, not every employee arrives trained to bring a quality mindset to their work—whether clinical or operational. At Mayo Clinic, the Quality Academy sets the standard for the organization’s relentless pursuit of quality excellence. In the latest episode of the Key in to Quality podcast, guests Ross Reichard, M.D., pathologist and medica...

In the latest episode of the Key In To Quality podcast, guest Michelle Nordland, manager, Project Management and Value Creation, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic gets candid about her approach to transformative improvement and her belief that improvement can start with one person.     In this episode, Michelle shares how she challenges leaders to think differently about Lean methodologies and...

What makes quality improvement a daily norm? The mindset that “good enough isn’t good enough,” according to Sean Dowdy, M.D., chief value officer, Mayo Clinic and a recent guest on the  Key In To Quality podcast. In this episode, entitled “Quality Improvement is a Mindset: perspectives from a chief value officer,” Dr. Dowdy talks about his approach to fostering sustained improvement across Mayo Cl...

Larry Senn, a pioneer in the field of corporate culture, said “Culture is not an initiative. Culture is the enabler of all initiatives.” That includes quality improvement according to Jessica Stellmaker, supervisor, Specimen Operations, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic.  On the latest Key In To Quality podcast, Jessica shares a host of leadership best practices when it comes to creat...

It’s been said that “teamwork makes the dream work.” Eric Siebeneck, performance improvement advisor, our guest on this episode of the Mayo Clinic Key in to Quality podcast, agrees with this when it comes to healthcare organizations working to improve quality of care delivery. However, often the responsibility is siloed and even shouldered by one or two individuals. Collaboration, particularly wit...

As healthcare delivery systems work toward adoption of emerging digital technologies and more automation, many leaders grapple with the question of how much is too much. Are the human elements of care—comfort, empathy, and warmth—being diminished or lost along the way? Our guests on the latest Key In To Quality podcast say it’s about awareness and balance. In the episode entitled “Tech with Heart:...

Patient experience is about making patient healthcare journeys better; in creating improved experiences, healthcare delivery staff often enjoy better processes and outcomes. But who is responsible for creating patient experience improvement? Where does one start? And are innovation and automation at the center of it all? Not necessarily says our latest podcast guest. In this episode of the Key in...

Volunteers fill many significant roles to support the human experience in healthcare.  Hear from Erin Pittman , Director of Volunteer Services, who oversees volunteer programs, hospital gift shops and animal assisted services at Mayo Clinic Rochester. Erin shares her perspectives about the complex field of volunteer management and the importance of understanding the impact of volunteers have in co...