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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Orientation Article from UNMC Today

Health care quality message greets SAHP students
by Karen Burbach, UNMC public relations
alliedhealthers809

New students in the School of Allied Health Professions show off their “I’m an Allied Healther” T-shirts.

You may have noticed the red, “I’m an Allied Healther” T-shirts around campus recently. The shirts marked the start of a new school year for 164 students in the School of Allied Health Professions.

During the school’s recent orientation, students engaged in program specific activities and then gathered for a noontime luncheon on quality expectations with Glenn Fosdick, president and CEO of UNMC’s hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center.

“Quality in health care will not go away,” Fosdick said.

The Nebraska Medical Center, he said, fosters a culture focused on quality at all levels of the organization.

To meet its goals, hospital leaders have adopted such programs as:

  • Six Sigma, a statistics-driven approach to quality control;
  • Crew Resource Management, team management concepts adopted from the airline industry;
  • A new barcode bedside monitoring system to reduce medication errors; and
  • A checklist to reduce hospital infection rates.

Fosdick challenged each allied health student to become a leader in best practices and systems that improve quality.

Fosdick’s message dovetails with the SAHP’s goals, said Kyle Meyer, Ph.D., associate dean of the SAHP.

“Our educational programs will provide you with the highest quality education and promote quality and safety,” Dr. Meyer said. 
Date Published: Monday, August 31, 2009