Improving Healthcare: Systems for Patient Safety

Frederick S. Southwick serves as Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida, bringing over four decades of expertise in infectious diseases and healthcare quality improvement. His impressive career includes serving as Chief of Infectious Diseases at UF and completing an Advanced Leadership Fellowship at Harvard Business School. His academic journey began at Yale College, followed by an MD from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, with clinical training at Boston City Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. His research contributions include groundbreaking work on proteins regulating white blood cell movement and infection fighting, earning him significant NIH funding and the University of Florida Research Foundation Award. He has authored multiple influential books, including "Critically Ill: A 5-point Plan to Cure Healthcare Delivery" and the widely-used "Infectious Diseases: A Clinical Short Course" (4th edition, 2020). His Coursera courses on healthcare delivery improvement have reached over 25,000 students from 150 countries. As a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) and practicing physician, he continues to bridge the gap between medical practice and healthcare system improvement, while maintaining an active teaching role and contributing to prestigious medical journals