Giovanni Rabito
From Risk Management to Innovation
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Giovanni Rabito is Head of Quality and Patient Safety at the Regional Hospital of Bellinzona and Valli, the Oncology Institute, and the Pediatric Institute of Southern Switzerland within the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale. He leads teams and complex processes, fostering quality and a culture of safety. The CAS in Risk Management provided him with practical tools and an integrated vision, strengthening leadership, prevention, and operational continuity.
What are the main challenges you face today in your professional role?
On the one hand, there is the management of a team of professionals and the coordination of activities essential to operational functioning, such as handling incident reporting, managing the document system, and monitoring clinical performance indicators. At the same time, I am responsible for raising organizational awareness on quality and risk management issues, developing training strategies, and promoting a culture of safety.
An important part of my work involves in-depth analysis of critical events. This requires a thorough understanding of how processes unfold, identifying systemic factors that may have contributed to the problem. I use different analytical methodologies, both for processes and risks, with the goal of designing targeted preventive actions.
In recent years, I have dedicated substantial efforts to innovation, developing a model that combines in situ simulations with advanced risk assessment techniques. This approach enables us to identify latent critical issues and implement corrective measures within the organizational system before adverse events occur. For instance, we have recently optimized the emergency alert chain for urgent cesarean sections and reorganized emergency equipment in the outpatient surgery and endoscopy unit, creating a more ergonomic and functional layout.
Since 2021, in situ simulations have proven fundamental in transforming critical scenarios into learning opportunities, fostering continuous improvement and promoting speak up, encouraging the safe reporting of incidents and the timely correction of system vulnerabilities.
How has the CAS in Risk Management, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery helped you address these challenges?
The CAS has been an experience of great value to me: it provided both solid theoretical foundations and practical tools for managing Business Continuity. Thanks to the presence of professionals from a wide variety of sectors, I had the opportunity to exchange views on innovative approaches and to introduce new methodologies into the hospital context. Today, I feel I have a clear and robust reference framework at my disposal, which allows me to act with agility and expertise in implementing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery approaches within my hospital.
Which skills acquired during the course were particularly useful for your professional growth and career?
Rather than a single skill, what I truly gained from the CAS was a comprehensive vision and an integrated approach. Business Continuity is often discussed in terms of tools alone, but the course taught me the importance of starting from the context: clearly defining the boundaries of the analysis, identifying critical consequences, and only then linking them to potential sources of risk.
On a practical level, I refined my use of methodologies such as FMEA, HAZOP, and Bow-Tie, which are now embedded in our analysis and prevention processes. I also developed a clear understanding of what a Business Continuity plan should—and should not—include, avoiding overly complex yet ineffective documents. These insights have strengthened my leadership and enabled me to drive projects that are actively transforming patient safety today.