Wright-Patterson Medical Center achieves VPP "Star" status Published Aug. 27, 2009 By Daryl Mayer 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Wright-Patterson Medical Center will be among two Air Force hospitals - the only two in the in the Department of Defense -- to receive the Star award, which is the highest level of recognition under the Voluntary Protection Program. The other hospital is David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (See related story) "This achievement shows the commitment of each of the 1,800 personnel in this hospital and I couldn't be more proud of them," said Col. (Dr.) Kimberly Slawinski, 88th Medical Group commander. The colonel credited a few items in particular that played a key role in the group's achievement including "a robust patient safety culture and a facility team that has kept the 50-year-old building in immaculate shape." She also praised the efforts of the Education and Training team for developing a VPP education program perhaps best known for a series of "VPP Man and Safety Boy" videos that have spread far beyond the Wright-Patterson fence line. "They did a wonderful job creating a program to educate every single person in this unit," Colonel Slawinski said. "They took a serious subject and at appropriate times used humor to help drive the message home very effectively." Considering the hospital caregivers see an average of 1,000 patients for scheduled appointments every day - in addition to another nearly 5,000 that come in daily for prescription refills, test results, lab work, etc., being recognized as a safe worksite is no small feat. A hospital is also an amazingly industrial work center. The Wright-Patterson facility is equipped with generators, air handlers, complex electronic scanners and even a robotic pharmacy. "Each of these is an opportunity to have an accident that we must work diligently to prevent," Colonel Slawinski said. "It took leadership and union commitment and employee involvement to make this happen," said Simone Koram, 88th Air Base Wing VPP Manager. "Hospital leadership and personnel, working in concert with the VPP Office, the Union, and other base agencies, for example Ground Safety and Industrial Hygienist, all were integral steps to achieving program success." The next step, the colonel said, is to keep improving. One item on the near horizon is to institute a "Zone Master" program she has seen work effectively in other medical centers. The program puts an individual in change of a physical area or zone of the facility without regard to organizational boundaries. "This removes any confusion as to who 'owns' a problem," Colonel Slawinski said. "If someone sees an issue they can't immediately rectify, they contact the Zone Master who is empowered to get the problem resolved." That aspect of the program, Ms. Koram said, ties back to the need for employee involvement - a key tenet of VPP. "The bottom line is taking care of each other and keeping your wingman safe," Ms. Koram said.