Recently, I had the pleasure of moderating a webinar titled “Driving a Culture of Transforming Patient Safety with KaiNexus“ featuring leaders from Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge: Lindsey Booty, Dr. Christopher Thomas, and LeaAnn Teague.
It was an insightful and inspiring session that left me thinking not only about safety in healthcare but also about broader lessons for any industry–particularly manufacturing–when it comes to creating and sustaining a culture of safety.
Patient Safety and Culture: Not Just a Healthcare Concern
When we talk about safety culture, whether it's patient safety or employee safety, the core principles are universal. It all starts with trust, psychological safety, and the systems that support problem identification and resolution.
In the webinar, Lindsey shared:
“All of our hospitals are looking to enhance their patient safety culture, our culture of safety for our patients.”
That same pursuit should ring true in manufacturing, construction, or any environment where human beings are at risk. Creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up about risks, near misses, or hazards is foundational to continuous improvement.
The Importance of Closing the Loop
One of the most powerful parts of the discussion centered around closing the loop. Lindsey described how their previous approach to patient safety rounds would often surface the same issues repeatedly–an indicator that problems weren't being resolved effectively:
“We stopped hearing the same items being [put on the board]. And that was a clear signal to us that this was actually closing the loop more than just checking a box for the leader.”
They've shifted from manually tracking concerns to a digitally enabled, real-time feedback system using KaiNexus, with tight controls and categorization aligned to the Joint Commission's SAFER matrix. The technology isn't the star of the story–it's the way they use it to foster ownership, accountability, and most importantly, trust.
As Dr. Thomas explained:
“This has allowed the teams to communicate from this digital dashboard over to a really strong performance improvement culture… and we're actually going to elevate it just based on what you tell us in safety rounds.”
That's a leadership mindset. It's not about checking boxes or inspecting for the sake of compliance–it's about listening and responding.
Gemba Walks (or Rounding) with a Purpose
In Lean, we emphasize going to the “gemba”–where the work is done. At Our Lady of the Lake, their safety rounds embody this principle. Their teams physically visit 83 locations, bringing leaders from nursing, environmental services, IT, and even security.
LeaAnn shared a great example:
“Our VP of nursing just stood up and said, hey, yeah, we have recognized that's a problem. And this is budgeted, and we've already ordered eight stretchers… we heard you. We acknowledge that and we have taken action.”
This reminded me of what I've seen in manufacturing settings when leaders go to the floor–not to blame, but to learn. When those walks include maintenance, safety officers, and even HR, quick wins happen. A broken scanner, a wobbly step ladder, or an outdated standardized work document can be addressed before they become incidents. The structure matters, but the mindset matters more.
Psychological Safety in Practice
This was a recurring theme in the conversation. You can have all the right tools and dashboards, but without psychological safety, they go unused or underutilized. LeaAnn described the behavioral coaching they gave some leaders:
“We kind of took those leaders to the side and said, hey, this is your opportunity to just listen… don't defend it. Don't justify it. Let's just listen to what they had to say.”
That shift–from defending the system to becoming curious about the employee's experience–is critical. It builds the trust that's needed to keep communication channels open.
And Dr. Thomas underscored how powerful it is to admit we don't have all the answers:
“The three words of ‘I don't know' in these rounds become critical… to say, I don't know, to frontline team members, to recognize what their challenges are as they're delivering care has become really critical.”
This humility and openness go a long way in creating a high-performing safety culture.
Measurable Outcomes, Meaningful Impact
Here's what's remarkable. Since implementing their new approach to safety rounds:
- Their issue resolution rate is at 71%
- Average cycle time from report to resolution (for large safety issues) is 55 days
- Their safety culture score, based on engagement surveys, reached a 4.08 out of 5
- And they're in the 91st percentile nationally on safety culture surveys
These aren't “vanity metrics.” They reflect a deep investment in listening, acting, and closing the loop. And perhaps more importantly, others in their health system are adopting the model.
Lessons for Manufacturing Leaders
If you're in manufacturing or another industry, here are some takeaways from this webinar:
- Don't just ask about problems–act on them.
- Prioritize closing the loop to show your teams that their voices matter.
- Go to the gemba with humility and curiosity, not judgment.
- Create structures that support transparency and real-time visibility.
- Coach leaders to listen, not defend.
- Celebrate when issues stop being repeated.
A culture of safety isn't built overnight. But every small act of listening and responding builds the foundation. And every improvement that's closed–both the quick wins and the long-haul fixes–reinforces that this is an organization that cares.
Whether you're managing patients on stretchers or stamping parts, the principle remains: safety culture is a human system, and it's built one conversation at a time–and one improvement action at a time.
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