Advancing Health Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Inside a Quest for Quality: How Safer Care Is Built at Scale
Date: February 4, 2026
Host: Kristen Price (American Hospital Association)
Guest: Dr. Thomas McGinn (Senior EVP, Chief Physician Executive, CommonSpirit Health)

Overview

This episode features a deep dive into CommonSpirit Health’s journey as a 2025 finalist for the American Hospital Association's Quest for Quality prize. Dr. Thomas McGinn discusses building a culture of quality and patient safety at scale, leveraging technology (including AI), fostering continuous improvement, and aligning leadership across a sprawling, multi-state system. The conversation offers practical insights and advice for health system leaders seeking to advance safety and innovation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Leadership Alignment in a Large, Distributed System

[01:36–03:16]

• Dr. McGinn describes how CommonSpirit, with hospitals in multiple discontinuous states, maintains quality and safety as organizational pillars at every level.
  • “Quality, safety and highest standards have been adopted and are constantly talked about at every executive meeting, every local meeting.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [01:56]
• The Quest for Quality site visit from AHA highlighted how leadership and frontline teams are connected, not in silos.
• Dr. McGinn credits the visit as an opportunity for system-wide self-reflection and learning, regardless of competition outcome.

2. Technology’s Role in Quality & Patient Safety

[03:16–05:02]

• Dr. McGinn underscores both the promise and risk of healthcare technology, especially AI:
  • “Technology is a double-edged sword. You could jump too quick...when you’re this large, you have to be a little bit cautious what you’re going to adopt and then disseminate.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [04:00]
• CommonSpirit established a rigorous, multi-disciplinary governance structure (covering legal, finance, clinical) to vet new technologies.
• The organization evaluates tech initiatives according to use-case (“back office,” “front office,” “clinical decision-making”); levels of evidence and scrutiny are adapted accordingly.
  • “You’ve got to be eager but cautious at the same time. And that’s kind of the trick. So I’m happy to meet people, hear their ideas, but then we do quick nos we call them.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [05:02]

3. Infrastructure for Innovation and Data Normalization

[05:02–07:41]

• Creating and scaling innovation relies on standardized processes, technology, and KPIs:
  • “We’re all going to do the same process, we’re going to adopt the same technology and we’re going to use the same KPIs.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [06:04]
• Managing 17 different EHRs, the organization is transitioning to one unified system over several years to reduce variability and streamline data.
• Success with normalized data and dashboards centers on clinical value: iterative design with direct clinician feedback ensures usability.
  • “Never had a dashboard that was done...there’s a back and forth with the clinical front lines about how it’s being used.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [06:57]

4. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Culture

[07:41–09:44]

• CQI is evident through the rapid cycle of identifying opportunities, piloting, iterating, and scaling.
• Example: Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for cancer screenings
  • Automated bots pre-screen patient charts before visits, surfacing overdue or at-risk individuals for PCPs to act on.
  • Led to measurable increases in screening, especially for colonoscopies — traditionally difficult to grow.
  • “We just saw a huge lift in our colon, particularly in colonoscopy, which is one of the more difficult areas to break into.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [08:21]
• Success in one region is rapidly disseminated to others, even across different tech environments (Epic, Cerner).

5. Advice for Future Leaders: The Value of External Review

[09:44–11:11]

• Dr. McGinn encourages health systems to apply for quality awards/process audits regardless of where they are in their journey:
  • Internal and external feedback serves as both motivation and a learning tool.
  • “Some of the feedback is like, honestly, some of our PDF was like, wow, I didn't know we were that good. Which is really nice to have, right?” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [10:19]
• The process is low-risk and high-yield, offering objective insights and opportunities for improvement distinct from rating agencies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Real System Integration:
  “It was the culture from A to Z, from national to market was talking about quality, safety and high standards, reducing variability. And it was very evident. It was very exciting for me to see.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [02:40]

• On Data Standardization:
  “If you’re on different processes and have different technologies and you’re all measuring things in different ways, that is a very difficult position to be in.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [06:25]

• On the Power of Frontline Innovation:
  “We’re sharing best practices, we’re learning from each other, and we’re saving lives in a real, real, concrete, measurable way.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [09:06]

• On Participating in the Quest for Quality Process:
  “It’s really looking at you and trying to help you get better and smarter.” — Dr. Thomas McGinn [10:59]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:36] – System-wide leadership alignment on quality/safety
• [04:00] – Governance and vetting of health tech (especially AI)
• [06:04] – Standardization of process, technology, KPIs
• [08:21] – RPA in cancer screening as a CQI success story
• [10:19] – Advice: Embrace external review processes for growth

Conclusion

This episode paints a compelling picture of CommonSpirit Health’s holistic approach to quality and safety — driven by leadership alignment, cautious but enthusiastic adoption of technology, robust data practices, and an engrained culture of continuous improvement. Dr. McGinn’s candid insights and real-world examples serve as a playbook for other health care leaders seeking to build safer, more innovative health systems at scale.