User:MeridianNJ

Kina’ole in the Hawaiian language means “Doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the right place, with the right person, for the right reason, with the right feeling, the first time". It has also been defined as the highest form of excellence or flawlessness.

Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization in New Jersey, has also defined Kina’ole as the spirit of their transformation to a High Reliability Organization (HRO). High reliability is not a new concept but its adoption in health care is among only the innovative. Meridian is one of those innovators, having begun their journey to become a HRO in 2015.

So, what is a HRO? It is an organization that has succeeded in avoiding catastrophes in an environment where normal accidents can be expected due to risk factors and complexity.

There are five characteristics of HROs that have been identified [1] as responsible for the "mindfulness" that keeps them working well when facing unexpected situations. The airlines industry has practiced high reliability for decades. Though a pilot may be on his thousandth flight, he diligently runs through his pre-flight checklist. This tool helps him to be in the moment, be mindful, focus only on the task at hand, and recognize potential for error before it might happen. Further, his co-pilot and flight crew feel very comfortable offering feedback or questioning a decision they feel might cause error or, even worse, harm.
 * Preoccupation with failure
 * Reluctance to simplify interpretations
 * Sensitivity to operations
 * Commitment to resilience
 * Deference to expertise

These same principles can be applied to health care. Just like the airlines industry, health care safety and quality can be improved through the practice of mindfulness, the use of tools and checklists that turn behaviors into habits, and a preoccupation with failure so strong that the team always feels comfortable and supportive in speaking up to prevents errors.

Meridian Health’s innovative work brings together the characteristics of HRO with their purposeful focus on humanizing the health care experience, creating a feeling and a type of work best described as Kina’ole. With the spirit of Kina’ole patients find a consistently exceptional and safe experience. Kina’ole is another way Meridian is taking care of New Jersey.

Notes

ISBN0-7879-5627-9

External Links

Kina’ole: Creating a “Heart-Wired” organization

Meridian Health