Changing the Trajectory of Safety: Your Role in Driving Meaningful Progress 

Despite 20 years of patient safety efforts, achieving meaningful progress remains challenging. Dr. Fairbanks will challenge traditional approaches to safety and system design, inspiring fresh perspective on how safety can be achieved. Attendees will collaboratively explore innovative strategies for designing safer systems, moving closer to the ultimate goal of zero preventable harm. 

Rollin J. “Terry” Fairbanks, MD, MS, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality & Safety Officer, MedStar Health and Executive Director, MedStar Institute for Quality & Safety 

Looking Towards a Safer Future

Join us for a dynamic fireside chat with Dr. Lee Fleisher, a nationally recognized healthcare strategist and advisor, who formerly served as Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In this session, Dr. Fleisher will illuminate cutting-edge national initiatives aimed at elevating safety for both patients and the healthcare workforce. Drawing on his extensive experience, he will delve into emerging regulations and systemic safety strategies—including the new CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure (PSSM), and insights from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Dr. Fleisher will also share innovative perspectives on the future of healthcare delivery. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss shared challenges, and explore practical solutions during this interactive conversation. 

Lee A. Fleisher, MD, ML. Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Principal and Founder, Rubrum Advising

Assessment to Action: Implementing the National Action Plan and Moving Towards Total Systems Safety 

The National Action Plan to Improve Patient Safety will be introduced, offering a comprehensive overview of the report and its recommendations. Led by the co-chairs of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety (NSC), the discussion will delve into the plan’s four foundational and interdependent areas, prioritized by the NSC as essential for achieving total systems safety. Participants will be inspired and equipped with actionable steps to implement the plan’s framework and advance patient safety within their own institutions. 

Patricia McGaffigan, MS, RN, CPPS, Vice President for Safety Programs at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, and Co-chair for the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety 

Craig A. Umscheid, MD, MS, Director, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS) at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Co-chair for the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety 

 Thursday, April 10                 Event

8:00 AM                                    Registration, Light Breakfast, Visit Exhibitors and Patient Safety Poster Presentations

9:00 AM                                    Welcome

9:20 AM                                    Opening Keynote: Changing the Trajectory of Patient Safety 

10:45 AM                                  Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall

11:00 AM                                  Keynote: Looking Towards a Safer Future

12:00 Noon                              Exhibit Hall:  Exhibitors, Posters and Networking lunch

1:15 PM                                   Afternoon Keynote: Assessment to Action: Implementing the National Action Plan and Moving Towards Total Systems Safety

2:15 PM                                    Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall  

2:30 PM                                    Voices from the Field: An Interactive Workshop on Prioritizing Patient Safety

3:15 PM                                    Building a Safer Future Together

4:00 PM                                    Closing

Learning Objectives:

• Explore why patient safety is at a critical juncture and why the need for improving the design of safer systems is more important than ever.
• Describe innovative ways people across the country are approaching the design of safer systems and the impact that it plays on patient outcomes, and provider well-being.
• Outline how organizations are implementing the National Action Plan for Patient Safety and re-committing to advancing patient and workforce safety that results in improved safety.
• Articulate at least three methods for designing safer systems that can be done immediately.
• Discuss new federal and state regulations and describe strategies to comply with new measures.

This conference is designed for healthcare leaders, including Chief Medical Officers, Chief Nursing Officers, and Patient Safety Executives, as well as patient safety officers, quality improvement managers, and front-line care providers. It is relevant for professionals in both hospital and non-hospital settings. Leaders and patient safety professionals from pre-hospital and post-acute care environments will also find significant value in attending. 

Many organizations in the region submitted posters  that are timely, relevant, and evidence-based, showcasing best practices in patient safety and aligning with the conference learning objectives. 

Download posters from our Minogue Award winners and from selected poster presenters at the Maryland Patient Safety Conference 2025.   

Priority was given to submissions that: 

• Support conference learning outcomes in various care settings. 

• Eliminate preventable harm across care environments. 

• Integrate health equity in the work or specifically address a health equity topic. 

• Incorporate patient safety and improvement science methods and clearly outline the method or framework used to implement practice changes. 

• Provide actionable takeaways that allow replication at other organizations. 

• Identify and address gaps in education, practice, or outcomes that impacts patient safety or quality of care. 

• Demonstrate measurable improvement and outline metrics that indicate the effects of practice change(s) 

• Reflect current or cutting-edge science through evidence-based content 

• Project is timely, relevant, creative, and innovative

For more information, please contact Adriane Burgess at aburgess@marylandpatientsafety.org. 

For sponsors and exhibitors, the Maryland Patient Safety Conference 2025 offered unparalleled opportunities to showcase your solutions, network with key decision-makers, and gain visibility among a highly engaged audience. 

Thank you to our 2025 sponsors and exhibitors for their support!