June 26, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lisa Huddleston, Manager of Communications
Greater Cincinnati Health Council
2100 Sherman Ave., Suite 100
Cincinnati, OH 45212
(513) 531-0200
Health Council Presents Patient Safety Award
Debbie Hayes is Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer at The Christ Hospital
Debbie Hayes, vice president and chief nursing officer at The Christ Hospital, is the 2008 recipient of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council’s Richard M. Sm
ith, MD Leadership in Patient Safety Award. Hayes was was presented the award at the Health Council’s annual meeting on June 12.
Since 2006 Hayes has also been the chief patient safety officer at The Christ Hospital, where she has been an integral member of the hospital’s Continuous Survey Readiness Committee, Mock Tracer Team, Patient Safety Committee, Nursing Safety Council and Medication Management Team.
According to those nominating her, Hayes creates a culture of “do not fix the blame, fix the problem,” which leads to an environment more conducive to open reporting and correction of processes that further enhance patient safety. In addition, she coordinates an annual employee/physician survey to track perceptions of the hospital’s patient safety initiatives and progress and to generate ideas for safer processes.
Moreover, with The Christ Hospital’s transition to an independent hospital, Hayes serves as the chief information officer and has led the effort to select, design and implement a new IT platform.
Her nominators affirm that Hayes continuously “promotes evidence-based practice and challenges all personnel to research and explore ways to make patients safe.”
In addition to her on-the-job duties, Hayes serves in leadership positions with the Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives and the Greater Cincinnati Nurse Executives. She is also the nurse leader representing The Christ Hospital on Cincinnati’s Aligning Forces for Quality program, an initiative of the Health Improvement Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati.
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