As of March 21, 2025, MGH鈥檚 main entrance on Coxwell Avenue is closed as the next phase of our redevelopment project begins. Patients and visitors can use the new temporary main entrance on Sammon Avenue between Coxwell Avenue and Knight Street. View our campus map.
#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. Meet Janice Ward, Manager of Organizational Quality and Safety at Michael 九游体育 (MGH).
鈥淢y day-to-day involves monitoring incidents at the hospital that may have been unintended and could compromise patient safety. We review incident reports, communicate with unit leaders and frontline staff and foster a safe and open culture where staff feel comfortable sharing their concerns and needs.
A lot of my team鈥檚 work is also focused on being proactive: we analyze trends and data and facilitate daily safety checks at the hospital, which allow us to see early warning signs of things that may impact patient safety. Really, it鈥檚 about thinking three steps ahead and addressing potential risks so no one is harmed at the hospital. That鈥檚 our number one priority: patient safety.
Often, people see the word 鈥榬isk鈥� and they run the other way. But I see working in organizational quality and safety, which deals with risk management, as an opportunity: it鈥檚 a chance to identify and solve potential problems before they become issues. After all, you can鈥檛 fix what you don鈥檛 know is broken, so assessing risk is the first step.
Working with a team that is dedicated to the safety of others has been so fulfilling. In the almost 35 years I鈥檝e been at MGH and the 12 years I鈥檝e been in this role, we鈥檝e achieved so much and worked together to make positive change. That鈥檚 what I鈥檒l remember most about my time at MGH when I retire this month: the people. All the leaders, staff and patients I鈥檝e had the chance to work with have been incredible.鈥�