Leadership and Teamwork: Essential Roles in Patient Safety.

Obstetrics and gynecology is a specialty practiced in some of the most complex care environments. Particular attention must constantly be paid to maintaining patient safety as a primary focus. A safe patient environment can only exist where leadership is committed to a patient-centric model of care delivery and creates a supportive culture. Safe patient care is best accomplished by teams. These teams need to understand and be committed to the concepts of open communication, situational awareness, and continuous learning.