Stand-by!: U.S.A.F. Medical Crash Team

The increasingly popular corporate philosophy of total quality management (TQM) can (and should) be applied to the healthcare industry—as structured and bureaucratic a system as can be found. Yet one does not begin by running, but by learning how to walk. So, too, with TQM. In this article, the author makes several suggestions that will enable healthcare managers to take those first few steps toward better quality service and patient care.