In May, we marked not only the annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress, but also the graduation of the 2011-2012 class of AHA-NPSF Patient Safety Leadership Fellows. At a celebration in Washington, DC, just prior to the start of this year’s NPSF Congress, the fellows were feted and recognized for their hard work, insightful projects, and ambition to move the field of patient safety forward in their organizations.

Among this year’s class were several members of the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety:

Helga Brake, PharmD, CPHQ
Patient Safety Leader
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, IL

Margaret Cousart, RN
Patient Safety Director
Tift Regional Medical Center
Tifton, GA

Ken Grubbs, MBA, RN
Director, Quality Standards
Clinical Standards Group
Hospital Corporation of America
Nashville, TN

Adele Hodlin, RN, MS, CPHQ
Assistant Vice President for Quality and Risk
Adirondack Medical Center
Saranac Lake, NY

Jennifer Kadis, MSN, RN, CPAN
Program Director, Crew Resource Management
Memorial Healthcare System
Hollywood, FL

Barbara Olson, MS, RN, FISMP
Senior Patient Safety Officer
LifePoint Hospitals
Brentwood, TN

David Shapiro, MD
Associate Director, Trauma & Critical Care
Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center
Hartford, CT

Shorouq Zakariya, MHRM
Risk Management Specialist
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The AHA-NPSF Comprehensive Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship is designed to prepare the next generation of patient safety, quality, and performance improvement leaders. Over the course of one year, fellows participate in a series of learning retreats and webinars, and they design and implement an Action Learning Project with the goal of improving processes and spreading evidence-based safety practices that lead to better outcomes and performance within their organizations.

The fellowship consists of four in-person learning sessions, periodic teleconferences, various self and organizational assessments, and individual coaching.

The 2012-2013 class of fellows will be announced next month. To learn more, visit the AHA-NPSF Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship website.