
Patient Safety Certificate Program
Patient safety requires a proactive approach and the recognition that Patient Safety is "Everyone's Job!" Building a comprehensive and effective patient safety program requires art, science and consistent commitment from the organization's leadership and staff.
This course is designed for patient safety and risk management professionals to identify and deploy patient safety principles and to use analytical tools to support improved patient care and organizational outcomes.
The certificate program uses a "blended learning" approach: attendees begin with didactic online learning modules reviewing core patient safety topics prior to the two-day in-person sessions. During the in-person sessions participants will discuss patient safety topics and tools and learn how to apply multiple performance improvement and patient safety strategies, earning 18 hours of continuing education credits.
Participants will collaborate with colleagues and faculty to complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) matrix on current patient safety issues, participate in an FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) exercise, receive guidance on crisis communication & disclosures, conduct a RCA (Root Cause Analysis) case study, discuss creating & sustaining change and share strategies to shift the organization's focus from one of reacting to events to proactively preventing harm and events from affecting patients, families and potential liability losses.
Benefits of the Patient Safety Certificate Program
Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:
- Lead organizational strategies to build or strengthen a proactive patient safety program
- Incorporate principles and best practices of a comprehensive patient safety program
- Apply analytical tools and patient safety concepts to improve patient outcomes
Who should take ASHRM's Patient Safety Certificate Program?
This course is open to any professional working in patient safety or risk management, novice to expert, clinical or non-clinical, directly responsible for implementing strategies in a supporting role, who is interested in advancing the knowledge of patient safety principles and effectively applying tools & skills to generate positive change at your organization.
Topics Covered:
Online Module
The online module will provide a broad overview of the foundations of a comprehensive patient safety program, including:
- Patient Safety: Past, Present, and Future
- Patient Safety Science
- Patient Safety Infrastructure
- Just Culture
- Human Factors & Effects on Patient Safety
- Communication for Patient Safety
- Data Sources: Collection and Use
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Disclosure
- Managing the Media: Crisis Communication
- Building Patient Safety into Organizations

2-Day In-Person Module
The 2-day in-person portion of the course is highly interactive, with multiple opportunities to collaborate with colleagues to explore topics in greater depth and use tools discussed in group tabletop exercises.
- Patient Safety Today
- Patient Safety Science including High Reliability
- Human Factors & Communication
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
- Apparent Cause Analysis
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Crisis Communication
- Disclosure
- Building Patient Safety into Organizations
- Patient Safety Data including Board Reports
- Sustaining Change, including Resilience for the Organization and Professionals

FACULTY
Anne Huben-Kearney, BSN, MPA, CPHQ, CPHRM, CPPS, DFASHRM

Anne Huben-Kearney, BSN, MPA, CPHQ, CPHRM, CPPS, DFASHRM
Risk and Patient Safety Consultant
Anne is a Risk and Patient Safety Consultant providing independent consultation for health care providers, including psychiatry and psychology professionals, as well as health care organizations. Anne has extensive clinical, managerial, and administrative experience, including tertiary care institutions, academic community hospitals, and physician office practices; she served in clinical leadership roles, as a director of performance improvement, as a patient safety officer, and as a risk management consultant, vice president and assistant vice president of risk management with medical professional liability insurance companies.
Anne is a member of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) and the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) as well as the Massachusetts (MSHRM), Connecticut (CSHRM), and New York (AHRMNY) chapters of ASHRM and served as the Chair and for 2024, the co-Chair of the Education Committee for the New England Regional Healthcare Risk Management Conference.
She is a Distinguished Fellow in the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (DFASHRM), serves on the ASHRM Faculty for the Patient Safety Certificate Program, is a member of the ASHRM Forum Committee, and was elected to the ASHRM Advisory Board for 2020-2022 and to the ASHRM Nominating Committee for 2025-2026. She was recognized as the 2019 CSHRM "Risk Professional of the Year" and the 2023 MSHRM “Risk Management Professional of the Year.” Anne presents nationally and internationally and writes on healthcare risk management and patient safety topics, including as co-author of the ASHRM/American Hospital Association (AHA) 3-Part White Paper series on Recognizing and Managing Bias, editor of the ASHRM Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Playbook, contributing author to the ASHRM Obstetrical Risk Management Playbook, and contributing author for the 4th Edition American Health Law Association (AHLA)/ASHRM Enterprise Risk Management for Health Care chapter on Reducing Enterprise Risk Through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Anne earned a B.S.N. degree, magna cum laude, from College Misericordia (now Misericordia University) and an M.P.A. degree with a concentration in health care management from the University of New Haven. She is a certified professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM), and Patient Safety (CPPS).
Tatum O’Sullivan, RN, BSN, MHSA, CPHRM, DFASHRM, CPPS, CHSP

Tatum O’Sullivan, RN, BSN, MHSA, CPHRM, DFASHRM, CPPS, CHSP
Senior Consultant – Healthcare, Aon Global Risk Consulting
Tatum O’Sullivan, RN, BSN, MHSA, CPHRM, DFASHRM, CPPS, is currently a Senior Consultant - Healthcare for Aon, with the Aon Global Risk Consulting team. She was previously the Director of Safety, Risk, and Patient Family Relations at Mass General Brigham Medical Group in Massachusetts. She has held various leadership roles, including Director of Risk Management at an HCA hospital in New Hampshire. She is a Certified Professional in Health Care Risk Management (CPHRM) and Distinguished Fellow of the American Society for Health Care Risk Management (DFASHRM). Tatum is a dedicated member of the American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM), where she has served and chaired committees. She was elected to the advisory board and nominating committee and was the 2024 President of ASHRM. She has been on the Board of the Northern New England chapter affiliated with ASHRM serving as Secretary and President in 2014 and 2017. She also served on the Board of the Massachusetts chapter as Secretary and as President in 2018. She has chaired and volunteered on various committees for the local chapters. In 2016, Tatum received the Paulette L. Gagnon Award from the Northern New England Society for Healthcare Risk Management. This is the chapter’s highest honor and goes to members who have distinguished themselves in promoting the chapter, the profession of risk management, and in the development of other risk professionals. Tatum is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety and a faculty member for the ASHRM patient safety certificate program. She has presented on risk management and patient safety strategies locally, nationally, and internationally. She was a contributor on a publication for Health Care Management Review in 2017 and is a contributor to ASHRM’s Leading Health Care Risk Management Workbook and the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Playbook. She is a registered nurse and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master in Health Services Administration.
Geri Schimmel, RN, BSN, MS, CPPS

Geri Schimmel, RN, BSN, MS, CPPS
Patient Safety & Risk Professional Consultant, Strategic Safety Advisors, LLC
Geri is passionate about Patient Safety. For over 20 years, her professional energy and focus have been on improving the safety of care received by patients as well as ensuring that patients and their families are actively educated and engaged as the central focus of care. Appointed director of a new component Patient Safety Organization (PSO) for a large healthcare organization in 2009, Geri’s role was to establish a new component PSO while growing a Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES) process under the PSQIA/AHRQ national guidelines and certification. Additional responsibilities included oversight for simulation education and incorporation of that program in the patient safety program. A nurse with over 30 years of clinical and educational experience, Geri is currently sharing her knowledge and experience to guide and support others as a Patient Safety & Risk professional consultant. Her areas of expertise include higher education curriculum development including train-the-trainer concept development and implementation, facilitation & mentoring, team leadership & collaboration, communication & interprofessional skills & project management – including virtual content. Geri has experience speaking both nationally on patient safety, patient advocacy and risk issues over the course of her career.
As an active member of ASHRM, Geri has been a member of the Patient Safety faculty for over 12 years and become Team Lead in 2017. She is a member of ASHRM’s Education and Content Committee and has been a contributor for ASHRM publications including the ASHRM Physician Office Practice Playbook (2015), and a section lead for the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Playbook (FMEA 2022).
Kathy Shostek, RN, ARM, MBA, DFASHRM, CPHRM, CPPS

Kathy Shostek, RN, ARM, MBA, DFASHRM, CPHRM, CPPS
Healthcare Loss Control Expert, Munich Re Specialty – North America
Ms. Shostek is the Healthcare Loss Control Expert for Munich Re Specialty - North America where she supports the Excess & Surplus Healthcare portfolio and provides risk management and patient/resident safety expertise to underwriting and claims, broker partners, clients and insureds. She is an industry recognized healthcare professional experienced in applying risk reduction techniques and innovative approaches to improve patient safety and reduce liability risks. Kathy’s experience is extensive and includes leadership at the acute care level and a corporate multispecialty physician group practice. Kathy has worked for national risk and safety consultancies as well as healthcare liability insurance companies assisting health systems, hospitals, senior living, and physician groups to implement risk management strategies and patient safety programs. Kathy serves as faculty for ASHRM’s Patient Safety Certificate course, is a past board member of ASHRM, a lead contributor to ASRHM’s Patient Safety Playbook and FMEA Playbook, and past chair of ASHRM’s Patient Safety Task Force. Kathy has served as risk consultant and developer for ECRI’s Healthcare Risk, Quality, and Safety Guidance System and publications, including Physician Office Fundamentals and Critical Care Safety Essentials. She co-authored a chapter in ASHRM’s Risk Management Handbook for Healthcare Organizations, 5th edition. ASHRM awarded Kathy the Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for her career contributions to healthcare risk management and patient safety.
Steve Mrozowski, MHA, NRP, CPPS, FACHE

Steve Mrozowski, MHA, NRP, CPPS, FACHE
Partner, Chartis Group
Steve Mrozowski, MHA, CPPS, FACHE, serves as a Partner with Chartis serving in the High Reliability Care practice. He brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience in prehospital services, quality, safety, high reliability organizing and education. In his role, Steve is focused on assisting organizations in optimizing their capabilities to deliver harm-free, patient-centered, and high-quality care. His expertise and passion are most prominent in the principles of patient safety structures, Just Culture, cause analysis, lean/six-sigma, and high reliability.
Prior to joining Chartis, Steve served as Senior Director of Safety & High Reliability at Cleveland Clinic, where he led the enterprise-wide patient safety program, high reliability organizing activities, environmental health and safety, and Cleveland Clinic’s component Patient Safety Organization. Previously, he was the inaugural Director of Patient Safety at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and led the organization to a reduction in serious safety events by more than 75% during his tenure. Steve’s clinical experience in emergency medical services spans more than 25 years.
In addition, Steve speaks nationally on topics of patient safety, high reliability, and harm reduction. He actively participates nationally with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) where he is a Dolan Scholar and serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chairperson on the board of the Northern Ohio ACHE chapter. He was recently honored with an ACHE Regent’s Award for Leadership.
Steve earned his undergraduate degree in Emergency Medicine and completed Paramedic training at the University of Pittsburgh and his Master of Health Administration from Penn State University. He also completed graduate education in Organizational Development from Penn State. Steve is a board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety.
Important Course Information
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ASHRM Credit
This program is approved for 18 contact hours of continuing education credit toward fulfillment of the requirements of ASHRM designations of FASHRM (Fellow) and DFASHRM (Distinguished Fellow), and toward CPHRM renewal – for those who hold the designation at the time of the program.
Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
American Society for Health Care Risk Management is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. This program has been approved for 18 contact hours.
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This course consists of 5 hours of online pre-work and 13 hours of on-site application.
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You will receive a Certificate of Completion upon completion of the following:
- Full on-site attendance
- Completion of all online work
- Completion of evaluation taken within two weeks of the course
Email ashrmed@aha.org for questions about this program.
2025 COURSE DATES:
ASHRM Express
July 16 - 17 | Chicago, IL
SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
Patient Safety Risk Management Playbook