The HCA mission statement affirms that "Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life." This simple statement is the foundation of our culture and our passion for patient safety.

Thomas F. Frist, Jr., MD,a co-founder and former chairman, is fond of saying "putting patients first" is the secret of success in healthcare.

Jack Bovender, CEO and Chairman of HCA describes the patient safety initiative as a response to the "sacred trust" that healthcare providers have with their patients.

At HCA, Patient Safety is a company-wide effort to ensure that we are using the best practices and the most appropriate, state-of-the-art technology in the medication use process.

Our goal is to create a culture of patient safety as a tangible expression of HCA's commitment to putting patients first.

• Establish patient safety as a visible commitment to our "putting patients first" philosophy
• Move from blaming people to improving processes
• Improve use of technology to prevent and detect error
• Use data to identify and measure improvements

Contact us to share ways your HCA hospital is putting patient safety in action.

Summit MedicalCenter,in Nashville, TN, received the Tennessee Pharmacy Association's 2005 Innovative Health System Practice Award for their use of digital scanning and consolidated entry of medication orders for a multi-hospital health system which has advanced distribution, clinical and patient education services.

Gulf Coast Medical Center, in Panama City, FL, is a 2004 recipient of the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Excellence in Patient Safety.