Dr. Tina Schade Willis

Tina Schade Willis, M.D., will accept the Socius award on behalf of the N.C. Children's Hospital on May 4 at the National Patient Safety Foundation Congress in Washington, D.C.The award is being given for the hospital's new Family Alert Initiative, a pilot study being conducted as an addition to the existing Pediatric Rapid Response Team system.

"I am thrilled that our program has received this honor," Willis said."The success of the pediatric rapid response system is due to the hard work of our many team members and staff that utilize the team without hesitation.Bringing our patients and their families into the activation of this system compliments our hospital culture of patient-centered care and safety."

Dr. Willis led the development of the Pediatric Rapid Response Team with Celeste Mayer, Ph.D., patient safety officer for UNC Hospitals.

"These teams are often very difficult to implement since they require a change in the culture of the hospital," said Dr. Tina Schade Willis, a pediatric intensivist at the N.C. Children's Hospital.Willis led the development of the Pediatric Rapid Response Team with Dr. Celeste Mayer, patient safety officer for UNC Hospitals.
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"In this new process, there are no false alarms and no negative feedback is to be given to the caller," Willis said.