Clinical Operations

The Clinical Operations team at The Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality is focused on ensuring and supporting the safest and highest quality of care throughout Johns Hopkins Medicine. The team focuses on continuous improvement and defining the future of quality and safety.

A distinguishing characteristic keeping Johns Hopkins at the forefront of patient safety is the successful translation of research into operations and practice to continuously improve patient care.

Our Priorities

Achieve Clinical Excellence
Provide Outstanding Experiences
Eliminate Preventable Harm
Improve Healthcare Efficiency and Value

Commit to Transparency

Each day in a hospital, staff members undertake complicated tasks caring for patients. Johns Hopkins Medicine's patient safety efforts aim to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to all patients across our health system. These efforts, which are tracked and shared publicly, cover patient experience, infection prevention, delivery and newborn care, surgical volumes, quality of care ratings, and pediatrics.

See Johns Hopkins Medicine's patient safety and quality data

Johns Hopkins Medicine uses a Communication and Resolution Program (CRP) as a framework to resolve unexpected outcomes with patients


Lead Research and Improvement Projects

The Armstrong Institute is best known for its extensive work in the inpatient setting to reduce Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs), including central line associated blood stream infections, ventilator-associated events, surgical site infections, venous thromboembolism, delirium, muscular atrophy, diagnostic error, and patient loss of dignity. Publications by AI researchers are among the most highly cited papers in the field, led by the New England Journal paper on decreasing catheter-related blood stream infections, with over 4100 citations. 

Ongoing work includes antibiotic stewardship in hospitals, primary care and nursing homes, early recovery after surgery, and peer assistance for second victims of error (traumatized providers after an error or stressful patient-related event). Over the last few years, Armstrong Institute has expanded into new areas of research, including blood pressure control in primary care, errors in transitions to home health, patient-centeredness, and OB-GYN care.  We are viewed by our peer institutions one of the pre-eminent patient safety research entities in the world.

See more of our research work

Provide Training and Consultation

Throughout our consultations and courses, we work with like-minded organizations that share the Armstrong Institute’s vision of a health care system that harms less, wastes less and consistently provides high-quality, respectful care. We strive to expand patient safety and high-quality health care at home and around the globe. Our virtual workshops allow individuals or groups to work together while participants gain insights for embedding health care improvement efforts into their organizations. They head home with a deeper understanding of the structures, strategies and resources needed to take patient safety and quality.

Provide Patient and Family Resources

Johns Hopkins is committed to providing you and your loved ones a respectful and positive experience. Our staff are here to listen and help address any concerns you may have.

Partner with JHM Clinical Entities

The Armstrong Institute Quality and Safety Operations team partners with leaders and staff at each of our clinical sites in support of providing the highest quality of care and achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.