Most of us are familiar with therapy animals, but have you ever wondered what the research says about how these animals can positively impact the patient experience? In this episode of the Key In to Quality podcast, co-hosts Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler and Sheri Nemec sit down with Whitney Romine, Animal-Assisted Services Manager at Mayo Clinic, to explore how animal-assisted services are transforming healthcare.

Research has shown that animal-assisted services, when implemented correctly, can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and enhance the overall patient experience. In Whitney’s role, she has been integral to building Mayo Clinic's unique program, which is fully integrated into patient care and supported by dedicated staff.

Tune in to hear real examples of how animals at Mayo Clinic have contributed to positive patient outcomes and learn about various resources available for healthcare and volunteer organizations interested in leading animal assistance initiatives.

Whether you are a healthcare practitioner, administrator, volunteer or patient, this discussion will help you better understand the benefits of animal-assisted services and learn best practices for establishing or expanding animal-assisted interventions in a healthcare setting.

(34) Whitney Romine, MPH, C-AAIS, KPA-CTP | LinkedIn

Mayo Clinic Department Instagram: @mayoclinicanimalassistedsrvs

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

#mayokeyintoquality

Every day, patient safety events and near misses happen in health care. But are we truly learning from them? In this episode of Key In To Quality, Mayo Clinic’s Jennifer Cowart, M.D. Chair, Patient Safety in Florida and Joe Nienow, manager of Mayo Clinic Patient Safety Systems, share how a team of experts turned a clunky, outdated incident reporting system into a transparent, user-friendly engine for patient safety improvement.

You’ll learn how the Safety Electronic System Oversight Team (SESOT) led a multi-phase, enterprise-wide transformation that involved over 80,000 staff members. From simplifying workflows and integrating with the electronic health record to visualizing trends and using AI to surface insights, this episode explores what it takes to evolve from passive reporting to proactive learning.

Key takeaways include how to build a culture of safety, balance simplicity with insight, and make safety data accessible and actionable for all staff. Whether you're working in quality improvement, patient safety, or leadership, this episode offers practical lessons on using data, design, and collaboration to make care safer for everyone.

#Mayokeyintoquality #patientsafety #safetyculture #digitalhealth #EHRintegration

Guest: Jennifer Cowart, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-cowart-b0860494/

Guest: Joe Nienow

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

#mayokeyintoquality

Needlesticks and bloodborne pathogen exposures are more than just workplace injuries. They’re personal, emotional, and preventable. With thousands of cases reported annually in U.S. hospitals, addressing this issue is critical to staff safety and organizational culture.

On this episode of Key In To Quality, Melanie Swift, M.D., Associate Medical Director for Occupational Health, and Seth Clarenbach from Mayo Clinic’s staff safety team, discuss how Mayo is tackling this challenge head-on through policy, engineering, and culture change.

Learn how the multidisciplinary "BEEPERS" committee uses frontline insights and injury data to identify patterns, improve sharps container design, and champion best practices like hands-free passing in surgical settings. The conversation also highlights persistent barriers, like underreporting and risk normalization, and what organizations can do to shift that mindset.

This episode offers key takeaways for healthcare leaders, occupational safety teams, nurses, and quality improvement professionals committed to creating a safer healthcare environment.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

#mayokeyintoquality