JHF Staff and Patient Safety Fellow Attend AELPS Patient Safety Summer Camp

L-R: David Mayer, Helen Haskell, Jennifer Condel, Ashlee Carter, Gwen Sherwood, and Heather Daugherty.

Jewish Healthcare Foundation Program Associate Ashlee Carter, MS and Lean Healthcare Strategy and Implementation Manager Jennifer Condel, SCT(ASCP)MT participated in a week-long Academy for Emerging Leaders in Patient Safety (AELPS) summer camp hosted by MedStar Health from June 5-8 in Breckenridge, Colorado.

The four-day immersive workshops convened resident physicians, medical, nursing, and pharmacy students focusing on patient safety concepts and applying quality and safety improvement strategies and tools. The applicants were selected based on demonstrated passion and interest in patient safety, history of leadership, and commitment to ongoing education and scholarship in patient safety. The Academy for Emerging Leaders in Patient Safety is driven by the MedStar Health Institute for Quality and Safety and supported by its faculty and leaders.

There were 22 in attendance at the summer camp, including Jennifer Callear, a prior Patient Safety Fellowship participant who was sponsored by JHF to attend. Jessica Clark is being sponsored by JHF to attend the Maryland cohort of the summer camp to be held July 18-22.

The program leaders in Breckenridge were David Mayer, MD, AELPS Founder and Executive Director, MedStar Health Institute for Quality and Safety and Carole Hemmelgarn, MS, MS, AELPS Leader and Senior Director, Education, MedStar Health Institute for Quality and Safety. Led by nationally and internationally recognized patient safety leaders and advocates, learners obtain real-world knowledge and skills to implement and disseminate with colleagues in their organizations on concepts including high reliability principles and implementation strategies, system error and human factors engineering, quality improvement tools and techniques, leadership, communication, reflective practice, mindfulness, and teamwork. The training also included presentations and discussions with patient advocate families affected by medical errors, enabling attendees to ask difficult questions in a safe environment.