Originally published by Ariadne Labs on March 13, 2020 | Updated March 17, 2020 By Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH I know there is some confusion about what to do next in the midst of this unprecedented time of a pandemic, school closures, and widespread social disruption. As a primary care physician and public health leader,… Continue reading Social Distancing: This is Not a Snow Day

By Ian Solsky, MD, MPH Illustrated by Courtney Staples Attending medical school more than 30 years ago, my father claims he worked with a surgeon who gave trainees feedback while brandishing a pistol and stomping on the eyeglasses of a student that had slipped into the surgical field. As a general surgery resident, I can… Continue reading How a global, surgical checklist can help shape OR culture

By Bill Berry, MD, MPA, MPH This is the second post in a series on implementation efforts at Ariadne Labs. Read the first installment by Sue Gullo, our director of Implementation. Humans resist change. Maybe it’s a survival mechanism from our evolutionary past. When the world was uncertain, we stuck to what seemed to work.… Continue reading Overcoming resistance to a surgical safety checklist

Each summer, Ariadne Labs hosts a cohort of interns who come from various backgrounds. They study a variety of subjects and assist the organization’s programs and platforms. As they wrap up their summer internships, we asked them to reflect on their experiences and what brought them to Ariadne. Prepare to be inspired. Leila Ben Halim,… Continue reading What I did on my summer vacation: Inspiring reflections from our interns

By Sue Gullo, RN, BSN, MS Illustrated by Courtney Staples “Implementation” may sound like a term reserved for the company boardroom, but really we are all implementers. We regularly identify opportunities for change or improvement and then turn these ideas into action. I do this every day when prepping for my commute to work. Do… Continue reading Implementation: A unique approach to spreading health care solutions globally

By Evan Benjamin, MD MS and Tiffany Xie Illustrated by Courtney Staples In 1994, Betsy Lehman, a celebrated reporter for The Boston Globe, died of an overdose of chemotherapy. After a series of fatal mistakes from her care team, Lehman received four times the intended dose of chemotherapy, which led to her premature death at… Continue reading What’s an apology worth?

By Evan M. Benjamin, MD, MS, and Meghan Long, MHA Illustrated by Courtney Staples As we gear up for the Boston Marathon, one of the world’s best known road races, we are also marking Patient Safety Awareness Week. This celebrated 26-mile race next month is a testament to commitment, dedication and persistence in the face… Continue reading Patient Safety is a Marathon, not a Sprint

By Evan M Benjamin, MD, MS, FACP Last week, the president of the parent organization of Somerville Hospital near Boston apologized in person to the husband of Laura Levis, who died outside the hospital two years ago after finding an emergency room entry locked. “I’m very sorry for what happened to your wife….I take personal… Continue reading Why hospitals should apologize after harming patients