Gerald B. Hickson, MD
Gerald B. Hickson, MD, is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy, Professor of Pediatrics, and Associate Professor of Family and Health Systems Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is the currently Chair of the Board of Directors at the National Patient Safety Foundation.
Dr. Hickson received the Award for National Healthcare Patient Advocacy from the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy in 2006 and the Vanguard Award for the Advancement of Patient Safety from The Doctor’s Company Foundation in 2008. He has a special interest in engaging patients and families as active participants in promoting safety and reducing unnecessary malpractice risk. His research has focused on understanding why families choose to file suit, how to address unnecessary risk and improve quality and safety, and the importance of identifying and addressing behaviors that fail to support a culture of safety. Dr. Hickson’s work has culminated in the development of innovative tools and processes for addressing disruptive behavior.
Nationally, Dr. Hickson has served as Chairman of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) Quality Care Committee, as a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Quality Improvement, and as Chairman of the Board of Governors at the National Patient Safety Foundation. A national and international speaker, Dr. Hickson has presented at The Joint Commission 25th Annual Conference on Quality and Patient Safety, and Risky Business (2009, 2010) – an International Children’s Patient Safety Conference.
Dr. Hickson has published over 140 works including articles, chapters, invited review articles and abstracts. Current published writings include the chapter, “Balancing Systems and Individual Accountability in a Safety Culture,” in Berman S. (ed.), From Front Office to Front Line, 2nd Edition; “Identifying and Addressing Physicians at High Risk for Medical Malpractice Claims,” in Youngberg B. (ed.), The Patient Safety Handbook, 2nd Edition; and “Patient Complaints and Malpractice Risk” in Journal of the American Medical Association (2002; 287(22):2951-57).
Dr. Hickson received a BS from the University of Georgia and his MD from Tulane University School of Medicine. His pediatric residency was completed at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital along with a Fellowship in General Academic Pediatrics.
