Name
#217 Obsessed with failure: Driving the HRO journey through the implementation of a standardized mock code training program and national data collection.
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
VHA/VA
Services/Agencies represented
Veterans Health Administration/Veterans Affairs (VHA/VA)
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Technology
Learning Outcomes
a. Identify how the REdI Mock Code Program training curriculum and use of the HFMEA matrix is unique.
b. Understand how data is being reported back to individual VHA facilities for local process improvement(s).
c. Outline how data is being reported across the enterprise regarding identified trends, gaps, and recommendations for mitigation.
d. Recognize how the REdI Mock Code Program drives the HRO journey at a local and national level.
b. Understand how data is being reported back to individual VHA facilities for local process improvement(s).
c. Outline how data is being reported across the enterprise regarding identified trends, gaps, and recommendations for mitigation.
d. Recognize how the REdI Mock Code Program drives the HRO journey at a local and national level.
Session Currently Live
Description
Obsessed with failure: Driving the HRO journey through the implementation of a standardized mock code training program and national data collection.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States providing care at 1,380 health care facilities, including 170 VA Medical Centers and 1,193 outpatient sites, to over 9.1 million Veterans. Over the past decade, survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) has remained unfavorable at 18-20%. In a 2018 publication, researchers found that Veterans were 50% more likely to survive cardiac arrest within the VHA than in the private sector showing a mean survival rate of 30-36%. While this survival rate is higher, the VA strives to do better. Research has shown that teams who practice together have better patient outcomes so in 2020, the VHA’s Resuscitation Education and Innovation (REdI) team embarked on a journey to develop and scale a standardized approach to mock code training and data collection. Because the VHA facilities range in acuity complexity from Level 1A to Level 3, and varied in mock code practices, from being newly implemented to robust, developing a standardized program that would meet the varied needs of each facility was challenging. Built on a foundation of HRO principles, this hybrid training approach brings multiple VHA facilities together to collaborate in a virtual classroom along with breakout spaces for individual facility team discussion regarding their local program, policies, barriers, culminating in the development of a strategic plan with SMART goals for success. Following the virtual training, a team of REdI staff visit the facility to further discuss their implementation challenges, successes, and review data collected. Together, they run mock codes to provide feedback and offer recommendations, as needed. Like typical mock code programs, the REdI Mock Code Program (RMCP) includes an evaluation of participant performance including adherence to American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines and benchmarks for actions. What sets the RMCP apart is the inclusion of a modified Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (HFMEA) Hazard Scoring Matrix to evaluate the systems of care. Utilizing this tool, clinicians can rate contributive factors, with potential for resuscitation impact, according to the probability of recurrence and the potential impact severity for Veterans if it does. This tool also allows the clinician to recommend actions for mitigation of the identified issues. Currently, more than 50% of VHA medical centers have implemented the RMCP and data collected from their local training events is being entered into a national database. Along with a team of researchers at the Ann Arbor VA, this data is being analyzed for national trends identification to drive process and practice changes for improved patient safety and outcomes. To date, data from more than 500 Mock Code events have been collected. This presentation will highlight several of the national latent safety risks and the outcomes identified through this program and how the findings were shared for quality improvement initiatives.