Our Services

The study by Taber et al. demonstrated a 40% reduction in medication safety issues through a multidisciplinary initiative involving patients in medication follow-up. This engagement also achieved 100% adherence to reconciliation, leading to a significant 50% decrease in seven-day readmission rates.

Aho-Glele U, Pomey M, Gomes de Sousa M, Bouabida K. An evidence-based tool (PE for PS) for healthcare managers to assess patient engagement for patient safety in healthcare organizations. Patient Experience Journal. 2021; 8(1):45-58. doi: 10.35680/2372-0247.1454
Simply put, ATW Health Solutions makes healthcare better by improving quality and safety.

ATW Health Solutions is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) healthcare advisory and consulting firm based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 2014, ATW Health Solutions has earned national recognition for transforming healthcare delivery systems from ordinary to best-in-class. With a focus on improving quality, safety, and health equity, ATW Health Solutions has partnered with public and privately held organizations and government agencies to transform healthcare delivery systems locally and nationally. Founded by healthcare transformation expert and visionary Dr. Knitasha Washington, ATW Health Solutions is a values organization driven by bold aims and goals to improve healthcare for all.

ATW Health Solutions takes a human-centered design approach to quality improvement (QI) that innovates and transforms healthcare. We believe the tenets of Person and Family Engagement (PFE) and health equity are a way of thinking for innovative leaders. Our client solutions fully integrate patient-centeredness and equity as core strategies representing measurable inputs and outputs, resulting in a demonstrated value.

Whether through our research, our rapid-cycle Quality Improvement training and implementation, or our staffing solutions, we identify and design the right solution to the right problem for the right people. At ATW Health Solutions, we thrive on innovation and apply an evidence-based approach by embedding data and analytics into our performance measurement systems and solutions. Our client solutions seamlessly integrate patient-centeredness and equity as core strategies representing measurable inputs and outputs – resulting in demonstrated value.

See how we are improving healthcare quality and enhancing patient safety.

Patient Partners Innovation
Community (PPIC)

ATW Health Solutions is comprised of patient engagement and health equity researchers, subject matter experts, and patient advocates who ingrain lived patient experiences into our work. We work through many different venues to improve the quality, safety, and experience of all patients. Many of us are volunteers in our own communities, working directly with local and national healthcare organizations.

ATW Health Solution’s Patient Partner Innovation Community (PPIC) arose through the expressed desire to network, share, and learn from others doing similar work in other communities. This site and our Facebook group provide resources and information to aid your efforts and allow you to connect directly with others. We also provide PPIC members with additional opportunities to network and learn.

Increasingly, healthcare has embraced the value of patient and family voices as an effective strategy to improve care. We bring those voices together to build upon what we are doing in our communities. We seek to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion because together, our voices and opportunities to innovate healthcare solutions become stronger. Together we will find opportunities to innovate healthcare solutions.

Learn how we find opportunities to expand our voice and impact to improve quality and safety.

Engagement & Equity Assessment
We are committed to data-driven, evidence based methodologies that create innovative solutions and transform systems.

High-performing hospitals and healthcare systems improve outcomes by integrating health equity and patient engagement across their ecosystem. ATW Health Solutions’ Engagement & Equity Assessment helps organizations identify opportunities to improve safety and quality by applying a human experience-centered approach. The assessment applies a scientifically tested method to accelerate quality improvement, safety outcomes, health equity, and cost reduction. The assessment provides a comprehensive benchmark and detailed recommendations for immediate implementation, improving problematic quality and safety areas. ATW Health Solutions provides ongoing evaluation and continued support, ensuring healthcare organizations succeed in improving quality, safety, and equity measures. The program is personalized and action-oriented, designed to improve organizational performance and patient health outcomes. After one year, the program re-evaluates and continues to provide training and education where needed. ATW Health Solutions’ assessment is an innovative tool that helps healthcare leaders enhance operations and achieve top performance levels, giving patients the health outcomes they deserve.

The study conducted at a major Texas academic hospital aimed to reduce postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and associated Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM) rates. Implementing the AIM obstetric hemorrhage bundle, along with strategies targeting Reduction of Peripartum Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RPRED), resulted in a significant 22% post-intervention decrease in hemorrhage rates, particularly among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients. The initiative successfully eliminated the initial disparity in hemorrhage rates across demographic groups and led to a noteworthy 26% reduction in patients requiring transfusion. These positive outcomes underscore the impact of a comprehensive Quality Improvement approach that integrates safety bundles and addresses health disparities for improved maternal health outcomes and equity.

Aho-Glele U, Pomey M, Gomes de Sousa M, Bouabida K. An evidence-based tool (PE for PS) for healthcare managers to assess patient engagement for patient safety in healthcare organizations. Patient Experience Journal. 2021; 8(1):45-58. doi: 10.35680/2372-0247.1454
Engagement Solutions

Patient and family engagement (PFE) involves active partnerships between patients, families, and healthcare providers in decision-making processes and care delivery. PFE is critical for hospitals and health systems because it has been shown to improve healthcare quality, safety, and patient outcomes. Patients and families are more likely to experience better health outcomes when they are engaged in their care. Additionally, PFE can improve patient satisfaction and trust in healthcare providers, leading to better patient-provider relationships.

Patients and families can provide valuable insights and feedback about their experiences with care and identify potential areas for improvement. This feedback can inform quality improvement initiatives and enhance patient safety protocols. Furthermore, PFE can promote health equity by empowering patients and families to advocate for their healthcare needs and preferences. This can be particularly important for patients from historically marginalized communities who may face barriers to accessing care or experience bias and discrimination within the healthcare system.

At ATW Health Solutions, PFE is core to what we do. Our team is comprised of nationally renowned healthcare transformation leaders, PFE and health equity subject matter experts, and patient advocates.

A study aimed to assess the impact of Patient Family Engagement (PFE) in hospitals, involving interviews with 38 participants from 9 hospitals engaged in PE activities. Positive impacts were identified across nine areas, enhancing proficiency and engagement for patient/family advisors and clinicians. The results highlighted positive effects on hospital structures, clinician functions, processes, patient experience, and outcomes, with 14 identified benefits. PE was found to empower the patient/family advisors, deepening their understanding of healthcare complexity and fostering increased engagement over time.

Anderson, N. N., Dong, K., Baker, G. R., Moody, L., Scane, K., Urquhart, R., Wodchis, W. P., & Gagliardi, A. R. (2022). Impacts of patient and family engagement in hospital planning and improvement: qualitative interviews with patient/family advisors and hospital staff. BMC Health Services Research, 22, 360. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07747-3 

Learn more about how we are improving healthcare safety by eliminating stroke disparities through community engagement.

Equity Solutions

Health equity is crucial for ensuring that all patients receive fair and just access to healthcare resources, services, and outcomes, regardless of their race, social, economic, or cultural background. At ATW Health Solutions, we embed health equity principles into our work. Our solutions help clients provide equitable, quality care to all patients, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Promoting health equity can lead to improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. When patients receive equitable access to healthcare services, they are more likely to seek preventative care, adhere to treatment plans, and achieve better health outcomes. In addition, promoting health equity can improve patient satisfaction and trust in the healthcare system, leading to better patient-provider relationships and increased healthcare utilization.

At ATW Health Solutions, we incorporate health equity into all our quality improvement work. Based on the understanding that achieving optimal health equity is critical for our clients, we ensure that equitable solutions are embedded across all quality, safety, and patient experience domains.

Evidence that patient safety incidents are experienced unequally: inpatient safety data from the US indicate that adjusted rates of perioperative pulmonary embolism and sepsis among black patients are 28% and 24% higher, respectively, compared with white patients admitted to the same hospital.

Wade, C., Malhotra, A. M., McGuire, P., Vincent, C., & Fowler, A. (2022). Action on patient safety can reduce health inequalities. BMJ, 376, e067090. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-067090

Learn how equitable healthcare measurement supports community voices, systems & partnerships to improve patient safety and healthcare quality.

Education & Training Solutions

ATW Health Solutions’ education and training help our clients achieve health equity and increase patient and family engagement. Our education is centered around helping clients understand the root causes of health disparities and how they impact patient outcomes. We help healthcare providers and staff develop cultural competency and the ability to understand and appreciate cultural differences among patients. Our training and education also incorporate patient-centered care, an approach to healthcare that places the patient at the center of the care process, leading to improved patient outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and better patient engagement.

At ATW Health Solutions, we embed patient and family engagement and health equity into our innovative training and education to help our clients achieve optimal health outcomes for all patient populations.