Complexity Science Advocates Look to Nature for Simple Solutions Picture yourself stepping on an anthill, completely destroying the small mound. Then, imagine coming back to the same spot two hours later. Chances are, the hill will be completely rebuilt. How do the ants do it?
Larry McEvoy

“They don’t appoint a boss ant,” said Larry McEvoy, CEO of Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs, Colo. “They don’t go to a 1,500-page manual or spend time forming a committee.”

McEvoy is a part of the growing academic field of complexity science, the study of how complex systems work. Their aim is to learn how to react quickly and effectively to crisis situations. In addition to his role as CEO at Memorial Health, McEvoy was also the founder of the Bedside Trust, which teaches organizations how to use complexity science to become more adept. He has since left the organization.

McEvoy will be bringing his techniques and tips to the 2010 ACPE Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., April 30-May 4. He will be one of four faculty members teaching Leading on the Edge: Complexity in Health Care.

The health care industry is a prime example of a complex system, in that there are lots of moving parts and on any given day there are plenty of issues that appear to be unsolvable, McEvoy said.

“There’s so much to do and so little time to get it done,” he said. “Sometimes it seems like the more you work the less you accomplish.”

The goal for every organization is to be self-organizing. To achieve this, it must be stable, resilient and change over time. Followers of complexity science draw inspiration from the natural world. Climates, oceans and grasslands are excellent examples of complex and adaptable systems, McEvoy said.

“We can think of ourselves as different from those principles that are whirling around us or we can learn from them,” he said.

Health care poses a special challenge because there’s an inherent tension between employees. Most health care professionals believe if you want something done right, you should do it yourself. But it’s impossible to do everything yourself – after all, health care is the world’s most complex team sport.

So how to resolve this tension?

The key, McEvoy said, is to boil everything down to simple, core principles. Those principles will be different at every organization. At Memorial, they include:

• Find common ground.
• Have the conversations we need to have.
• Diagnose and then treat.
• Be a trusted colleague.

Instead of waiting to be moved around like a chess piece, employees at a self-organizing institution will be empowered to think and act for themselves. This makes the organization more adaptable to changing circumstances, McEvoy said.
“So when something unpredictable happens, people are able to organize quickly,” he said. “Usually without a manual.”

Interested in learning more?
Register now for Leading on the Edge: Complexity in Health Care.

Report Finds Student Doctors Aren't Learning How to Keep Patients Safe

Medical schools aren't doing an adequate job of teaching students how to keep patients safe, according to a new report released by the National Patient Safety Foundation.

The paper, prepared by the Lucian Leape Institute at the NPSF, finds that medical schools and teaching hospitals have not trained physicians to follow safe practices, analyze bad outcomes and work collaboratively in teams to redesign care processes to make them safer.

Click here to read the full report.

Dr. Silbaugh Goes to Washington

Watch for an important message about the 2010 ACPE Annual Meeting by CEO Barry Silbaugh, MD, MS, FACPE. Don't delay! Learn more about the ACPE Annual Meeting and register for courses today. Call ACPE at 1-800-562-8088 if you have additional questions.

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