At Holland Bloorview, safety is a shared responsibility that brings staff, physicians, leaders, clients and families together to create the best possible care experience. For Melody Hicks, project manager of quality, safety and performance, that commitment has been at the heart of her career.
After beginning her career as a critical care nurse, Melody saw firsthand how communication, teamwork and strong systems can shape outcomes for clients and families. “Creating safer care requires reliable systems, strong teamwork and a culture where staff feel comfortable identifying and addressing potential risks,” she says.
Today, Melody is helping build safety culture at Holland Bloorview as the project manager of Caring Safely. She meets with hospital stakeholders to understand challenges, align priorities and support teams in improving best practices for delivering care safely.
Keep reading to learn more about Melody and the Caring Safely program:
Tell us a little about yourself and your journey at Holland Bloorview?
Since joining Holland Bloorview in 2017, my journey has been driven by a passion for advancing quality care and supporting organizational excellence. I started in the role of nursing vision coordinator, working in close partnership with the chief nurse executive to translate her vision for nursing professional practice into action through designing, planning and implementation of key initiatives that supported nursing excellence and professional growth. This role provided me with valuable experience in strategic planning, change management and collaboration across the organization.
Can you tell us more about your current role and what it entails?
Collaboration is at the heart of my role. Working alongside Solutions for Patient Safety Network (SPS) partners, clinical teams, operational leaders, and physicians, I help align priorities, drive projects forward and support improvements that enhance care and experiences for clients, families, and staff.
What projects are you most proud of from your time at Holland Bloorview?
I am most proud of the Caring Safely program and its ability to meaningfully engage families as partners in safety. One of the highlights has been collaborating with our Family Leaders to co-design Advocating for Safety; an error prevention curriculum tailored for families to play an active role in their child's safety and to feel confident speaking up when concerns arise.
What changes to safety have you witnessed at Holland Bloorview?
Over the years, I’ve seen a greater emphasis on proactively identifying risks, learning from events, and engaging staff in improvement efforts. Through the Caring Safely program and collaboration with the SPS Network, Holland Bloorview has strengthened its approach to high reliability through initiatives such as safety huddles, leadership safety rounds, safety coaching and error prevention training.
Can you share a memorable experience that highlights the impact of Caring Safely?
One of the most memorable milestones for me was reflecting on the outcomes highlighted in the Caring Safely 5-Year Impact Report. Some of the key highlights included a 78.5 per cent decrease in serious safety events, a 45 per cent reduction in staff harm relation to patient behavioural events and a 62.7 per cent decrease in our pressure injury rate. The report showed how far we have come on our journey toward high reliability.
What’s an upcoming project you’re particularly excited about?
I am excited to develop the final tool within the SPS Leadership Methods Toolkit: Leadership Learning Conversations.
The tool helps reshape conversations between leadership and staff to focus on learning from frontline teams, understanding everyday challenges, and collaboratively developing practical solutions. These conversations are safe, genuine and strengthen trust while supporting continuous improvement in the work environment.
What motivates you about quality, safety and performance?
The opportunity to create conditions where staff can do their best work while delivering safe, high-quality care. I am inspired by helping teams learn from everyday work, strengthening relationships between leaders and frontline staff, and supporting improvements that make a meaningful difference for both clients, families and the health care team.
What is something colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?
I once co-owned an ice cream and candy store! I wanted to do something completely different and create a place that brought a little joy to people. The store brought people together and I was able to challenge myself as a business owner.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work you can find me at a yoga or Refit class, out walking local trails with my two dogs, or enjoying the outdoors with my family. I also appreciate getting lost in a good book. Staying active and making time for wellness helps me maintain balance and brings energy to both my personal and professional life.
Learn more about Caring Safely program
