This case examines the transformation of the University of Virginia Health System (UVAHS) into a leader of operational excellence focused on both patient outcomes and health care team members’ well-being with its signature quality improvement and safety program, Be Safe.

The case provides opportunities for class discussions in several areas, including managing organizational change, understanding senior leadership in launching and implementing a major operational transformation, and applying Lean principles and methods in health care operations. It also exposes students to issues currently facing the health care industry, particularly from an academic hospital standpoint. It concentrates on the improvement activities led by Dr. Tracey Hoke, chief of quality and performance improvement for UVAHS, during the first two years of the Be Safe initiative to lay the foundation for future success in all aspects of patient care.