The amazing story of Captain Chelsea “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson River, reminds us that there are times that the right person is in the right place at the right time. Sully had 40 years of experience, understood how accidents occur and were an aviation safety expert. Those of us who know the Hudson River well realize how many buildings line the river, and how many injuries were spared. The set of facts that led up to the loss of the engines will be studied by other pilots and incorporated into simulations so that others will benefit from Sully’s experience.

Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is reluctant to share its misfortunes and lessons learned with others, so we keep repeating the same mistakes. We need to move towards sharing and transparency so that errors don’t stay hidden behind the walls.

Tell us what you think. Can we transpose lessons from the aviation industry? Can we share mistakes in today’s litigation environment, or is that too risky? Write a comment.

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