Leading Medicine with Houston Methodist

On this episode of Quality Time, Dr. Eleftherios Mylonakis, chair of the Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine at Houston Methodist, discusses how infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship and a commitment to quality help protect patients and communities. He explores the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of hand hygiene and teamwork in preventing hospital-acquired infections. He also shares his vision for moving from episodic medicine toward a continuum of care focused on prevention, wellness and maximizing healthspan. 

Guest: Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, PhD, FIDSA, FAAM, Charles and Anne Duncan Presidential Distinguished Chair, Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist, Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Houston Methodist Academic Institute. 

Notable topics covered:

• Preventing hospital-acquired infections through vigilant hand hygiene and other infection-prevention protocols 
• Practicing antimicrobial stewardship to address the challenge of antibiotic resistance 
• Applying lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to preparedness, communication, workforce well-being and technology 
• Expanding patient access and moving from episodic medicine toward a continuum of care

Related Links:

• Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, PhD, FIDSA, FAAM (LinkedIn)
• Houston Methodist Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine
• Houston Methodist Academic Institute

On this episode of Quality Time, Dr. Eyal Zimlichman discusses how structured innovation can address real-world challenges in healthcare delivery. He explores the connection between innovation, quality and patient safety, as well as the importance of engaging frontline clinicians, scaling successful solutions and building global collaborations. He also shares how AI, hospital-at-home programs and point-of-care diagnostics are helping improve access, outcomes and the patient experience while creating more sustainable models of care. 

Guest: Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, MD, MSc (MHCM), chief innovation officer, chief AI officer, and founder and director of ARC at Sheba Medical Center, co-chairman of Future of Health

Notable topics covered:

• The connection between innovation, quality improvement and patient safety
• Structured, problem-driven approaches to healthcare innovation
• Engaging frontline clinicians in developing solutions to shared challenges
• Moving successful innovations from pilot programs to broad implementation
• Global collaboration and the role of ARC in accelerating healthcare transformation
• Artificial intelligence, hospital-at-home programs and other emerging care models
• Developing sustainable innovation programs that support continued research and transformation 

On this episode of Quality Time, Margaret Head, chief nursing officer, and Kayla Gutierrez, director of advanced practice, in Houston Methodist Physician Organization, discuss how the organization is leveraging team-based care, advanced practice providers and innovative ambulatory care models to improve access, enhance patient safety and deliver a consistent experience across more than 260 clinics. They also explore the growing role of APPs, leadership development opportunities and the strategies helping patients receive high-quality, compassionate care closer to home.

Guests:

• Margaret Head, chief nursing officer, Houston Methodist Physician Organization
• Kayla Gutierrez, director of advanced practice, Houston Methodist Physician Organization

Notable topics covered:

• Quality and access challenges in ambulatory care
• Advanced practice providers role in expanding access and improving patient outcomes
• Team-based care models, daily safety huddles and continuous process improvement

In this episode, Dr. Shawn Tittle discusses his transition from a working as a highly specialized cardiothoracic surgeon to serving as the senior vice president and system chief quality officer of system safety, quality and service at Houston Methodist.

Expert: Shawn Tittle, MD, senior vice president and system chief quality officer for the Houston Methodist Department of System Safety, Quality and Service

Notable topics covered:

• Culture of safety
• Principles of high reliability
• Vizient Inc. scorecard and national benchmarking
• Houston Methodist Quality, Safety and Well-being Institute

Links:

• Shawn Tittle, MD (LinkedIn)
• Houston Methodist Quality & Patient Safety
• Houston Methodist The Patient Experience
• PODCAST: Advancing the Science of Quality Improvement | Quality Time with Dr. Schaal
• Vizient Inc.
• The Framework for High Reliability Healthcare
• Crossing the Quality Chasm
• To Err is Human

Nearly one in four patients admitted to a U.S. hospital suffers from an adverse event. Of those events, about one in four are thought to be preventable and are usually the result of a system failure.

On this episode of Quality Time, Dr. Evan Benjamin, director of Community Innovation and former chief medical officer at Ariadne Labs, explores how health care organizations can respond to patient harm with accountability, compassion and transparency. He discusses communication and resolution programs, the importance of a strong culture of safety and why open, honest conversations help organizations learn from adverse events, support clinicians and patients and build trust while advancing high reliability in health care.

Guest: Dr. Evan Benjamin, director of Community Innovation and former chief medical officer at Ariadne Labs; associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Notable topics covered:

• Patient safety and preventable harm
• Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs)
• PACT (Pathway to Accountability, Compassion and Transparency)
• High Reliability Organizations (HROs)

On this episode of Quality Time, Drs. Carla C. Braxton, Lara Colton and Jonathan Rogg discuss why and how Houston Methodist is investing in physician leadership through innovative professional development, graduate medical education and the new Healthcare Administration, Leadership and Management (HALM) fellowship. 

They share how Houston Methodist’s structured leadership training equips physicians with skills in strategy, finance, quality and change management while strengthening patient care and organizational excellence. 

Guests: 

Carla C. Braxton MD, MBA, FACS, FACHE, associate professor of Clinical Surgery, Houston Methodist Academic Institute; Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer, surgical intensivist, Houston Methodist West and Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospitals; director, Physician Professional Development, Houston Methodist Physician Organization

Lara Colton, MD, MEd, FACP, associate professor of Clinical Medicine, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Designated Institutional Official (DIO), Graduate Medical Education, Houston Methodist Hospital

Jonathan Rogg, MD, MBA, assistant professor of Clinical Medicine, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine; vice president of Operations and Chief Quality Officer, Houston Methodist Hospital; program director, Healthcare Administration, Leadership and Management (HALM) Fellowship, Weill Cornell Medical College

Notable Topics Covered:

·      Building the Physician Leadership Pipeline 

·      Physician Leadership Development Program

·      Graduate Medical Education Expansion

Healthcare Administration, Leadership and Management (HALM) Fellowship 

On this episode of Quality Time, Dr. Tom Lee, chief medical officer at Press Ganey, practicing physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and editor-in-chief of NEJM Catalyst,  discusses how healthcare organizations can build resilient systems in a world defined by uncertainty. Dr. Lee emphasizes that success requires becoming comfortable operating in environments that are constantly changing. To illustrate this complexity, Dr. Lee introduces the concept of BANI, a framework that captures the realities healthcare organizations face:

• Brittle systems that can break
• Widespread anxiety among staff and patients
• Nonlinear disruptions, from policy shifts to crises
• An increasingly incomprehensible world of constant change

He emphasizes that organizations with a strong culture and earned social capital are better equipped to build resilient systems to withstand BANI and navigate through challenges and change.

Notable topics covered:

·      Press Ganey

·      NEJM CatalystJournal

·      BANI framework of uncertainty

·      Social capital and organizational culture

On this episode of Quality Time, Dr. A. Osama Gaber shares how Houston Methodist’s Department of Surgery maintains its high standards and innovative drive by focusing on safety, quality management, and programmatic development. By pairing talented faculty with strong institutional quality frameworks, the department continuously improves patient safety and results.

He also shares how out of the devastating loss of his daughter came Nora’s Gift Foundation and Nora’s Home—a hospitality home in the Texas Medical Center that provides affordable, supportive housing for transplant patients and their families. Built with support from Houston Methodist, Nora’s Home includes 32 rooms and community spaces and has served thousands of families over the past 13 years. 

Expert: Dr. A. Osama Gaber, John F. Jr. and Carolyn Bookout Presidential Distinguished Chair in Surgery, chair of the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist, and the Founding Director of the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center  

Notable topics covered:

• The evolution of transplantation and robotic surgery 
• Houston Methodist’s performance on national quality metrics
• Programmatic growth and curriculum development 
• Nora’s Home

In this episode of Quality Time, Dr. William Cooper, president of the Vanderbilt Health Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy discusses how professionalism, teamwork, and communication shape everything—from malpractice risk to patient outcomes, workplace culture, and long‑term career performance. 

• Just 2% of physicians account for 50% of all malpractice claims.
• Peer‑delivered feedback—"Cup of Coffee” conversations—can reduce future malpractice risk by up to 80%.
• Ninety-seven percent of clinicians who receive early, informal feedback modify their behavior. 
• These interventions decrease complaints, strengthen workplace culture, and ultimately save lives.

Expert: Dr. William Cooper, president of the Vanderbilt Health Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy

Notable topics covered:

• Professionalism’s effect on quality care
• Who is responsible for the majority of malpractice claims 
• Ways to reduce claims and increase professionalism

In this episode, Dr. Randy Steadman, chair of anesthesiology and critical care at Houston Methodist and associate director of Houston Methodist's MITIE at the Bookout Center, shares how creating realistic, immersive environments in simulation based education leads to better surgical and clinical outcomes.

Dr. Steadman has developed simulation instructor training programs for:

• Clinical emergency response teams
• Code blue teams
• Obstetrical critical event teams 

Expert: Dr. Randy Steadman, chair of anesthesiology and critical care at Houston Methodist and associate director of Houston Methodist's MITIE at the Bookout Center

Notable topics covered:

• Evolutions in simulation education
• Benefits of using simulation education for critical incident training
• Overview of MITIE simulation training and debriefing

Links:

• Dr. Randy Steadman (Faculty Profile, LinkedIn)
• Houston Methodist Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
• Houston Methodist's MITIE at the Bookout Center