Charting the Course

In Why Hospitals Should Fly by John J. Nance, JD, the 2009 James A. Hamilton ACHE Book of the Year, he advanced a paradigm—a model of what a good, successful, safe and efficient hospital looks like. The name of the fictional hospital featured in that award-winning book could be stated in Naval terms as a class: A “St. Michael’s-class” hospital (like a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier). In this book, Charting the Course, written by John Nance, JD, and his wife, Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN, they address head-on the challenge of actually becoming a St. Michael’s-class institution by illuminating leadership’s role in changing the culture—and they do so by continuing from Why Hospitals Should Fly the personal and professional journey of Dr. Will Jenkins. His battle, and emerging wisdom born of tragedy, illuminates the norms of the current culture and illustrates why each member of every medical facility, regardless of rank, must be a leader and owner of the cultural revolution needed to keep our system viable and our patients safe. While the first book dealt more with the “why” of a cultural revolution, this sequel deals more with the “how” of changing an ingrained hospital culture. We hope you enjoy Charting the Course as much as you enjoyed Why Hospitals Should Fly.
-Jerry F. Pogue
Publisher