Taking Health Care Solutions to New Heights

Dr. Vinod Sahney thinks the health care industry can learn a lot from airplane pilots. “People forget things, but every pilot knows that before you take off, you go through a checklist regardless of how many years you have been flying,” said Sahney, a newly appointed professor of mechanical and industrial engineering in the College of Engineering. “Similar techniques can be applied in hospitals and operating rooms, which can cut down on problems and mistakes.”

Sahney’s scholarship focuses on solving the health-care crisis by using the principles of systems engineering to improve treatment, patient safety and quality of care. Northeastern’s health-care systems engineering program aims to improve efficiency, safety and access to health care in much the same way airlines, banks and other businesses optimize their operations. As Sahney puts it, “I always say, ‘If you see a good idea, be the first one to take it and apply it.’ ”