High Reliability to Improve Outcomes for Women Veterans

First in VHA SUD care team, a teratogenic time-out for the safe prescribing process, partnering with experts to create successful pathway for pregnant to ensure mental health needs are met, and more. Continue to develop new ways to participate in HRO. With both the VHA High-Reliability Organization (HRO) and Women’s Health mission focus on safety and trust, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) Women’s Health Program achieved exemplary outcomes by using HRO principles to practice high reliability, HRO values to guide actions and decisions, and partook in activities that promote HRO. This resulted in enhancements in gender-specific substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, safe prescribing of teratogenic medications, enhancing reproductive mental health care, and many other practices to enhance gender-specific care and instill trust in services for women to continue to choose VA for their care needs.

Problem: Women Veterans are the fasting growing number of healthcare users at VA and have unique gender specific needs. Ensuring that their sensitive needs are met in a safe, dignified environment and innovating programming is available is challenging in a male-dominated healthcare environment

Measurement: HRO Principles and Values

Analysis: Noting a multitude of best practices, each aligned with the five HRO Principles (sensitivity to Operations, preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise)

Implementation: A leadership style that embraces applying HRO to drive a program such as women’s health. The main obstacle was making others aware of how HRO was evident through our enhancement and best practices. Leaders can learn how to apply HRO to guide the leadership of any program

Speakers
Women Veteran Program Manager at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Women Veteran Program Manager – VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Speaker Type: Poster Presentations On-Demand