A unique patient safety conference, hosted virtually last week by a group of Boston-based health care organizations including the Betsy Lehman Center, featured a series of rapid-fire presentations and conversations about managing through — and emerging stronger from — the COVID-19 pandemic.

One key theme was the exposure of long-standing, deep racial inequities in our country, including in health care.

“One of the key takeaway lessons of the COVID era is that we are, I hope, finally recognizing how horrific the heritage of inequity is in this country,” said Donald M. Berwick, M.D., President Emeritus at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Read the story or see more below
Hear the speakers
Managing through a crisis
When COVID hits home:
My family, my community

Liz Miranda
Massachusetts State Representative,
5th Suffolk District
Leadership in a
prolonged crisis

Lieutenant Colonel
Susan M. Gannon
United States
Army Reserve
The public is watching:
A look inside the NFL during COVID-19

Josh McDaniels
New England Patriots
Moderator: Robert Weisman, Reporter, The Boston Globe
Emerging stronger
Underscoring the “human” in human factors

Patricia Trbovich, PhD
Patient Safety & Quality Improvement, North York General Hospital
Advancing racial justice and equity through quality and safety: 5 key drivers

Karthik Sivashanker, MD
American Medical Association
Time for change: Framing to move minds

Nat Kendall-Taylor, PhD
FrameWorks Institute
Moderator: Martha Bebinger, Health Reporter, WBUR
Watch the full program
Save the date! Risky Business 2022

Join us on April 7, 2022, at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston for a full day of talks, networking, and an evening dinner program.

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Upcoming events

  • Open Notes in the Safety Net. Vulnerable populations report having greater benefits from open notes, but how have they fared outside of studies and within the safety net? In this office hours session, two organizations serving some of the nation’s most diverse patient populations will discuss lessons learned from implementing open notes. April 22, 2021, 1:00 -2:00 p.m. Register here
  • Massachusetts Maternal Health Equity Community Town Hall. In partnership with the Betsy Lehman Center and the Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Improvement Network of Massachusetts (PNQIN), the MA COVID-19 Maternal Equity Coalition is hosting a town hall to hear from birthing people about what it was like to have a baby during the pandemic and what lessons can be learned from those experiences. May 6, 2021, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. Register here
  • IHI Patient Safety Congress 2021. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) brings together people who are passionate about ensuring safe, equitable care for all. This virtual event is for those who continue to shape smarter, safer care for patients wherever it is provided — from the hospital and outpatient settings, to the home. May 11-13, 2021. See pricing and register here
Patient Safety Beat is published by the Betsy Lehman Center, a state agency that supports providers, patients and policymakers working together to advance the safety and quality of health care.