Steve Harden

Steve Harden is chairman and CEO of LifeWings Partners LLC, a team of physicians, astronauts, nurses, and pilots that have helped over 110 healthcare organizations in the US and abroad implement the best safety practices from aviation and other high reliability industries. He is the author of two books on patient safety, including CRM: The Flight Plan for Lasting Change in Patient Safety, the definitive how-to text on implementing aviation-based safety tools in healthcare, published by HCPro.

Harden has been involved in safety training for over 20 years, producing over 40 separate training programs for commercial aviation, military flight squadrons, heavy construction, military contractors, and healthcare. He is a certified TeamSTEPPS master trainer and has personally trained over 20,000 physicians, nurses, staff, and administrators in the last ten years. Harden's success in helping over 75 healthcare organizations improve their teamwork, increase the reliability of their processes, and measurably improve their care has been featured in more than 35 publications including Fast Company, Health Leaders, Entrepreneur, and PBS Nightly Business Report.

A professional pilot with 34 years of experience, Harden is a captain for a major international airline. His expertise in the field of aviation safety training has garnered him seven awards for superior performance and quality achievement. He also served as an adjunct instructor for the University of Southern California's School of Aviation Safety.

Harden is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He accumulated over 300 aircraft carrier landings during service with the US Navy and was selected to be an instructor pilot at the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). He holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating and Type ratings in B-727, B-737, and MD-11 aircraft and has served as an FAA certified flight examiner.

As a pioneer in the application of aviation's best practices to improve patient safety, Steve Harden has developed a national reputation for his insight and experience in helping healthcare institutions improve the quality of their care.