The July edition of Trustee Insights, the monthly digital package from the American Hospital Association (AHA), focuses on the board’s role in improving quality. Elizabeth Mort, MD, MPH, former senior vice president of quality and safety and chief quality officer at Massachusetts General Hospital, shares best practices for senior administrative and clinical leaders and board members to set a safe and just culture that supports inclusion and psychological safety. Mort offers tactics for framing the board’s work around quality and safety goals. Another article focuses on a critical quality issue – improvement in substance abuse treatment. A recent study indicated approximately one in 11 visits to the emergency department and one in nine hospitalizations are related to substance use disorder (SUD), accounting for up to 33% of all admissions in safety net settings.
Boards should consider how to promote evidence-based practices through their quality programs, advocate for SUD-related education and serve as a vital conduit between the hospital’s SUD work and the community.
For information about MHA trustee resources or webinars, contact Erin Steward at the MHA.