WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.   –   Walter Reed National Military Medical Center proudly announces that its Nursing Wound Care team won a prestigious 2023 Ready Reliable Care (RRC) High Reliability Organization (HRO) Award for their performance improvement project titled “Reduction of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries.”

Defense Health Agency leaders commended team leader Dawn Ford and her colleagues for improving the culture of safety at Walter Reed. They significantly reduced wound care pressure injuries over a three-year period by successfully implementing an eight-step Practical Problem Solving (PPS) methodology.

“As the Flagship of Military Medicine, Walter Reed continues to lead the way in its multidisciplinary approach to improving patient care and safety; we have cultivated a culture of continuous process improvement that encourages those on the front lines to drive change across the organization,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Melissa Austin, Director of Walter Reed.

The Awards are presented in the following domains of change: Leadership Commitment, Culture of Safety, Continuous Process Improvement, and Patient Centeredness. The Winners’ Abstract booklet and the Abstract Booklet for All Submissions will be published on the Health.mil website: health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Access-Cost-Quality-and-Safety/Quality-And-Safety-of-Healthcare/Patient-Safety/Quality-Patient-Safety-Awards

Winners will be recognized at the 2023 Military Health System (MHS) Excellence Awards Ceremony on February 9, 2024.