Each year, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement conducts a week-long session for hospital clinician and administrative leaders entitled the Patient Safety Executive Program.  Over 90 people attend this intensive set of workshops and get a great grounding in quality and safety improvement, procedures and approaches to disclosure and apology, and a variety of other topics.

I was honored to be invited to present the closing session of the conference today.  As I was the last presenter of a very long week, I thought I would liven things up by offering free copies of Goal Play! to the people who gave the cogent responses or who asked the best questions.

Well, the books went very quickly.  Charlotte, above, was first, giving a great explanation of the causes of medical harm in hospitals.  The audience applauded vigorously when I gave her the book, but I warned them not to be too enthusiastic or there would soon be none left for them to earn!

Hector was next.  He said something on which I totally disagreed, that process improvement will depend on actions by government agencies.  But his presentation was excellent, so I awarded him a book anyway.  Plus, he gave me a good chance to disagree with him and to emphasize that change much come from within organizations, based on the leadership skills presented in the book.

The final book was awarded by audience acclamation.  Andrea made a good comment, and I was about to turn to another person, when someone yelled out “Give her a book!” and everyone else applauded.  The power of the crowd took over the seminar!