Sheltering Arms Nurse Awarded VHHA Speak Up for Safety Honor

On Friday, June 5, we had the pleasure of awarding Tessa Keller, RN, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s (VHHA) Virginians Speak Up for Safety award! All hospitals throughout the commonwealth had the opportunity to nominate team members and Tessa was selected as one of two winners out of 34 nominations for this year’s first quarter.

This initiative was launched during the first quarter of 2017 to acknowledge the efforts of individuals and teams within Virginia hospitals who speak up to prevent potential harm to patients or other staff members. The VHHA believes employees who feel safe and empowered to speak up to peers as well as to those in authority are able to do so because of a positive safety culture in their organization.

Tessa was nominated for actions she took to advocate for the safety of patients by acting in an emergency situation to ensure that a patient received prompt medical assessment and intervention.

“While we congratulate Tessa for her actions, we also congratulate the leadership team at Sheltering Arms for the culture of safety they have created that values information from front-line staff as a vital component of their journey to achieving zero harm to patients and staff,” said Abraham Segres, VP, Quality and Patient Safety for VHHA. “Highly reliable organizations make sure that everyone not only feels free to speak up without any concerns but also recognizes an obligation to do so.”

Thank you Tessa and the leadership team for all you do to serve our community and help Virginia hospitals pursue elimination of harm to patients and staff.