The near death experience of a loved one has spurred a lifelong passion for improving the quality of healthcare. At a recent conference I attended, Dr. Frederick Southwick shared the emotional, yet thought provoking, story of his wife Mary. As a result of a series of errors, along with a lack of collaboration, teamwork, and several other mishaps along the way, Mary almost paid the ultimate price.
Since then, Dr. Southwick has worked to adopt a system for improving frontline care and the prevention of hospital errors. He is currently the Project Manager for Quality and Safety Pilot Programs for the University of Florida & Shands Hospital and recently released the book, Critically Ill. In the book, he shares the story of Mary and then proceeds to dissect the causes and solutions involving her poor care. Sitting in the audience you could feel Dr. Southwick’s energy, enthusiasm and commitment to making a difference! For more insight look at Dr. Fred’s blog.
In addition, as an avid athlete in several sports during his time at Yale, he has merged the championship team mentality so critical to athletics with basic quality improvement techniques, to deliver improved care at the University of Florida & Shands Hospital. Check it out!
