#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. Meet Janice Ward, Manager of Organizational Quality and Safety at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).
“My day-to-day involves monitoring incidents at the hospital that may have been unintended and could compromise patient safety. We review incident reports, communicate with unit leaders and frontline staff and foster a safe and open culture where staff feel comfortable sharing their concerns and needs.
A lot of my team’s work is also focused on being proactive: we analyze trends and data and facilitate daily safety checks at the hospital, which allow us to see early warning signs of things that may impact patient safety. Really, it’s about thinking three steps ahead and addressing potential risks so no one is harmed at the hospital. That’s our number one priority: patient safety.
Often, people see the word ‘risk’ and they run the other way. But I see working in organizational quality and safety, which deals with risk management, as an opportunity: it’s a chance to identify and solve potential problems before they become issues. After all, you can’t fix what you don’t know is broken, so assessing risk is the first step.
Working with a team that is dedicated to the safety of others has been so fulfilling. In the almost 35 years I’ve been at MGH and the 12 years I’ve been in this role, we’ve achieved so much and worked together to make positive change. That’s what I’ll remember most about my time at MGH when I retire this month: the people. All the leaders, staff and patients I’ve had the chance to work with have been incredible.”