Mandy Gerlach, COO of Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health South Florida’s Outpatient Services, joined Becker’s to discuss how her team builds a culture where every employee feels empowered to “stop the line,” and why hiring and leadership alignment are the first steps to a high-performing ASC.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: How do you integrate new hires into your safety and work culture?
Mandy Gerlach: We have a robust onboarding program focusing on patient safety, quality and accountability. Every new employee has a preceptor and an educator. This ensures they’re competent and reinforces that patient safety and quality are everyone’s responsibility. We also emphasize creating a safe space where staff can speak up or “stop the line” if something doesn’t look right.
Q: Why is creating that safe space so important?
MG: Especially in a surgical setting, there are many opportunities for errors. Everyone — from the person cleaning the room to surgical techs, nurses or pre-op staff — needs to feel empowered to flag anything that could impact patient care. It ensures staff directly influence the quality and safety of care.
Q: If another ASC wanted to follow your path, what’s the first step you’d recommend?
MG: Hire the right people. People who are committed, take ownership, and understand the mission of providing high-quality care. Leadership alignment is critical, and leaders need to use data to drive performance improvement.
Even with limited resources, ASCs can assign key roles — risk management, patient safety officer, educator, infection control — to create an effective patient safety program. Using available resources effectively and fostering a collaborative culture is the key.
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