How Adena is rewriting the safety playbook

At Adena Health, we’ve set a powerful goal: zero preventable harm.

When it comes to the safety of our patients and staff, “good enough” is never enough. 

In 2024, the organization officially launched its journey to become a high-reliability organization, a proven model that puts safety and accountability at the heart of every decision. This initiative is being guided in part by the proven framework from Press Ganey, a leading partner to health care providers focused on improving the experiences of those receiving care, those seeking care, and those providing care.

Why does this matter? Because high reliability isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a mindset that has transformed industries where mistakes are not an option, such as aviation, nuclear energy, and transportation. If pilots never skip a checklist, no matter how many times they’ve flown, why should we in health care treat safety any differently?

For nearly 20 years, Press Ganey has been working with leading hospitals and health systems across the country to implement high reliability practices, guiding them through a multi-year transformation that embeds safety and accountability into their culture. Thousands of organizations, like Adena, have undertaken this rigorous journey with a proven model, positioning them among the most trusted and elite health care providers in the nation.

Adena was not required to take this path; we chose it. Because when our patients, families, and employees are safe — we all thrive.

“At Adena Health, our mission is clear: we put safety first, every time. We empower every employee — whether they provide direct care or not — to speak up when something doesn’t seem right. And above all, we work to prevent harm before it happens.” - Veronica Heitsch, MD, vice president of quality and safety