When things go wrong organizations can inappropriately respond to fear and stress, or they can continue to carry out their mission with professionalism and compassion. Which method do you prefer? This learning lab takes you through each step of a root cause analysis (RCA), providing relevant examples along the way. Beginning with reporting, through charting an RCA team and discovering the cause, ending with the follow up and external agency reporting, this lab will give you straightforward answers to your RCA questions and make it applicable for your own practice. Even if you have experience in conducting RCA’s, this lab will serve as a great overview and give those extra tips and even a little healthy humor.
- Understand the method and provide relevant examples that will aid in deciding which events should be escalated to a root cause analysis (RCA).
- Identify each step of a root cause analysis
- Demonstrate the required action items for each step of an RCA.
- Recognize when an event needs to be shared externally.
- Identify lessons learned/tips from stories/examples and aggregate review and discuss how to implement it in your own environment.
Shawna Forst is the Service Excellence Manager Pella Regional Health Center. Her roles include oversight of the patient experience and of the organization’s Lean efforts. She has also held prior positions in quality, safety, risk management and emergency preparedness. Shawna graduated from Simpson College in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education and a Coaching Endorsement. She began her healthcare career in 2004 as a technician in a cardiac unit. In 2010 she became a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and received her LEAN Green Belt certification in 2014. She also holds certification to teach Crisis Intervention Training, A.L.i.C.E. violent intruder training, and LEAN methodology. Shawna is co-author of the book Lean Healthcare in Action: A Practical Guide to Streamlining Processes (HCPro, Inc., 2010) and was the 2014 winner of the NAHQ State Excellence Award in the newsletter category. 2016 President of the Iowa Association for Healthcare Quality, Shawna has a passion for quality from a unique perspective.