Stephen Powell is the CEO and founder of Synensys, a professional services company headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, USA. Steve is a recognized leader in performance improvement having led programs in the U.S. Navy, the commercial airline industry, and the healthcare industry for more than 30 years.

His most recent experience includes patient safety, quality, and patient-centered care improvements, health systems strengthening, learning systems, high reliability, care coordination, value-based initiatives, and team training. Steve regularly provides assessments, training, consulting, and coaching services to senior leaders, managers, and teams in civilian, government, and military healthcare organizations worldwide.

He has authored numerous articles on human-centered design, reflective learning, teamwork, global health, safety, change management, communication, quality improvement, patient experience, and patient safety culture. His book, “The Patient Survival Handbook: Avoid Being the Next Victim of Medical Error,” is a call to action for deeper patient engagement and activation for patient safety, increased effectiveness, and quality improvement.

Steve is currently a Doctoral candidate in Health Administration at Central Michigan University. He earned a Master of Science in Human Factors from Embry-Riddle University. Steve is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School in Safety and earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Steve is a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists, the Clinical Human Factors Group, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He also serves as a Board member for the North Carolina Quality Center and the Armed Forces Mission.