When the Institute of Medicine exposed the alarming toll of medical errors in the United States with its “To Err Is Human” report in 1999, the topic of patient safety entered the national conversation. Healthcare organizations and legislators moved quickly to tackle the problem, committing to changing policies, practices, and hospital culture.
Yet here we are in 2025, and medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the US. Why the lack of progress?
The main factor is insufficient leadership focus and follow-through. Patient safety has slipped down the priority list for many healthcare leaders, overshadowed by financial and operational concerns.
Tim Babineau, MD, is a former surgeon and health system CEO. In this article for MedCity News, he argues that safety must be a hospital’s foremost priority—and it’s up to health system leadership to drive that message. Building a true culture of safety requires daily commitment, clear communication, and making safety a core value—not just a regulatory checkbox.
