‘Good Catches’ worth celebrating

Launched in 2022 by our Quality and Safety team, the Good Catch awards are presented at Sinai Health’s annual Quality and Safety Symposium, in tandem with Canadian Patient Safety Week. 

“The awards serve not only to reward individual efforts but also to inspire others to adopt a similar proactive mindset to enhance safety,” said Kate Wilkinson, Vice President, Clinical Operations and Risk, as she recognized the recipients. 

In addition to acknowledging these Good Catches that are identified and addressed, the awards also serve to inspire others to report safety concerns before they become incidents.

2024 Good Catch Winners

Safe and secure equipment

Winner - 3 North and Academic Practice – Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital

During her shift, a registered practical nurse on 3 North noticed a loose screw on a bedside commode. Recognizing that this could lead to a potential patient safety incident if ignored, the commode was quickly removed from service, and also initiated a comprehensive inspection of all commodes throughout the Hospital to ensure their safety.

Everyone at the table

Winner - Endoscopy, Medical Device Reprocessing Department (MDRD), Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), Biomedical Engineering and Human Factors – Mount Sinai Hospital

While preparing for an endoscopic procedure, the Endoscopy team identified something unusual with the equipment’s air tubing. Their report launched a review from a number of departments across the Hospital that resulted in thorough testing and updating components of the equipment.

Switching out for safety

Winner - 14 North and Pharmacy – Mount Sinai Hospital

Through routine use, the 14 North team reported a consistent issue with a specific medication dispensing system. Further analysis from the Pharmacy department led to identifying that the issue was not user error, but rather related to the system itself. This resulted in the procurement of new equipment by a different manufacturer.

Practical resources at hand

Winner - 10 South, Pharmacy and Transfusion Medicine Services – Mount Sinai Hospital

The 10 South team showed incredible initiative by reporting that the documentation for some intravenous administration guides could be enhanced for their daily use. The newly updated documents have since been added to the transfusion policy, providing clarity and improving efficiency.

Congratulations to the winners and thank you for your diligence and proactive attention to safety across our organization.