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If hospitals view patient safety only in terms of taking steps to prevent errors, they're missing a significant part of the initiative. Mistakes will happen no matter what precautions a facility takes, so senior leaders must consider how their organization will react in the aftermath of an adverse event. Hospitals have traditionally hunkered down and protected their assets when something bad happens, fearing that leveling with patients, families, and attorneys will cause greater harm than keeping quiet. But some facilities are taking a different tack, owning up to mistakes sooner rather than later.