Dear Colleagues,
We are proud to share an exciting development in our high reliability journey – the launch of our Just Culture Program across our System to all UMMS team members. This is an important step toward our goal of Zero Harm.
Just Culture is an organizational management philosophy that fosters a workplace environment where individuals are encouraged to report errors or near misses without fear of punitive action, focusing instead on learning and improvement. It emphasizes balancing accountability for actions while recognizing that systems and organizational factors contribute to mistakes.
To that end, on April 8, each of you was assigned a new Just Culture e-learning course in UMMS U, which is a required training for ALL UMMS team members, including those who have already completed a Just Culture training at a member organization. You must complete this required training by May 31, 2024. Please note that this is a separate assignment, and is not a part of the required UMMS Annual Training bundle.
At the heart of high reliability is the unwavering belief that every team member should feel empowered and safe to voice their concerns and learn from each other’s experiences. This comprehensive, Systemwide approach includes policy, training and tools designed to embed the principles of Just Culture into the fabric of our organization and our everyday work to ensure that each of us can contribute to a safer, more effective and compassionate healthcare system.
This is an important opportunity to strengthen our System and workplace. Together, we can achieve a truly just culture where every team member feels valued, heard and empowered to make a difference. Thank you for your commitment to this important initiative and for everything you do every day to care for our patients and each other.
Sincerely,
Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
University of Maryland Medical System
The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Professor of Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland School of Medicine