Patient Safety Movement Foundation Names Five Individuals to Inaugural Healthcare Safety Fellowship Program

The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF), a global non-profit committed to achieving zero preventable patient harm and death across the globe by 2030, has selected five individuals for its inaugural Patient Safety Movement Foundation Healthcare Safety Fellowship program. The 12-month, part-time program is focused on providing education and continued development of skills for future healthcare leaders – positioning these stand-out individuals to serve as regional and global leaders in patient safety improvement for years to come.

“We are excited to launch our fellowship program and provide an opportunity to unify and prepare future leaders in patient safety,” said David B. Mayer, MD, CEO of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. “These individuals have already demonstrated a commitment to improving healthcare, and we look forward to helping them design an individualized education plan that furthers their efforts and collectively helps us in our goal to achieve zero preventable patient deaths by 2030.”

Each of the five fellows will receive guidance from PSMF in designing an actionable plan that is tailored to their background, goals and the specific health needs of their region. In addition, fellows will have opportunities to interact and collaborate with an international network of patient safety and quality mentors, as well as facilitate and lead clinical coaching efforts with hospitals and healthcare organizations across the globe.

This year’s cohort participants include:

Luis Ramón Torres Torija Arguelles, MD, MBA
Dr. Luis Torres Torija Arguelles is a physician with a specialty in quality of clinical care from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. He currently works as a quality and patient safety coordinator at Hospital Español in Mexico City, Mexico, where he is responsible for the management, design, evaluation, improvement and innovation of clinical care and patient safety processes, incorporating methodologies for continuous improvement and better communication. His efforts to implement all the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s Actional Patient Safety Solutions have earned his hospital the 5-star Hospital recognition.

Carol Gunn, MD
Dr. Carol Gunn attended medical school at UC Davis and completed her internal medicine residency in Portland, Ore., followed by an additional year of training in occupational and environmental medicine at the University of Colorado. In 2007, she opened an independent occupational medicine practice. She thrives on working with individuals and groups advocating for system solutions – whether it be for health, wellness or patient safety.

Samar Hassan, PH, MSQ, CPHQ, FISQua
Samar Hassan holds a master’s degree in healthcare quality management and is a registered pharmacist and certified healthcare quality professional with the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). In addition, Hassan has worked with the Health Care Accreditation Council (HCAC) in Jordan and the region’s quality improvement and patient safety institution since 2018, where she has been involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of standards for quality and patient safety across health and social care institutions. She has also participated and supported HCAC’s advocacy and public awareness programs to synthesize professionals, the public and decision makers on adopting and implementing quality improvement approaches.

Elizabeth Namugaya Igaga, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Namugaya Igaga attended Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, for medical school, as well as her master’s degree in anesthesia and critical care. She is currently doing her clinical practice at the Uganda Heart Institute. Igaga’s interest in patient safety was sparked after multiple firsthand experiences during residency that resulted in near misses or catastrophic outcomes. Since then, she has been passionate about fostering and building a culture of safety in perioperative care in Uganda.

Ebikapaye Okoyen, MD, MBBS, MBA, MHPM, FISQua
Dr. Ebikapaye Okoyen works in the Ministry of Health in Yenagoa, Nigeria, as the deputy director and state program manager for Saving One Million Lives Program for Results (SOML PforR) – a World Bank-funded, results-based program financing maternal and child health and nutrition aimed at improving quantity and quality of service. He is a fellow and member of several professional associations including the Nigerian Medical Association, the Society for Quality in Healthcare in Nigeria (SQHN) and is a certified SQHN Health Facility Surveyor with a specialist certificate on the Fundamentals of External Evaluation Surveying from the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua). He has also published papers in health services research.

To learn more about the Patient Safety Movement Foundation Healthcare Safety Fellowship, visit: https://patient.sm/PR-Fellowship.