The Annual Betsy Lehman Patient Safety Recognition Award, established in 2005, recognizes leadership and innovation in patient safety, which has included raising public awareness, highlighting education and understanding and promoting systems-based solutions through the implementation of best practices.

The patient safety theme for the 2008 award focused on the demonstration of commitment to public transparency and the active involvement of patients in quality and safety initiatives.

The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction is pleased to acknowledge the joint recipients of the 2008 award, the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) and the Massachusetts Organization for Nurse Executives (MONE) for their Patients First Initiative. Under this voluntary initiative, Massachusetts' hospitals and their nursing leaders have pledged to make certain quality driven improvements and share meaningful patient safety and nursing quality data about their facilities with consumers and other health care providers, via a publicly accessible website: www.patientsfirstma.org.

Karen Nelson, MPA, RN, Sr. Vice President of Clinical Affairs for MHA and Sharon Gale, MS, RN, Executive Director for MONE were presented the award on behalf of their respective organizations at a public ceremony held during a Public Health Council meeting at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on March 11, 2009.

Left to right: Nancy Ridley, Director, Betsy Lehman Center; Karen Nelson, MHA; Sharon Gale, MONE; John Auerbach, Commissioner, DPH
Left to right: Nancy Ridley, Director, Betsy Lehman Center; Karen Nelson, MHA; Sharon Gale, MONE; John Auerbach, Commissioner, DPH

This information is provided by the Betsy Lehman for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction within the Department of Public Health.