I AM PATIENT SAFETY 2026
​​I AM Patient Safety is an annual contest that recognizes and celebrates healthcare staff for their individual or collective commitment to and influences on patient safety. It is a chance for us to celebrate the things that go right each day in healthcare to make our patients safer.

2026 WINNERS​

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S CHOICE
AMBULATORY CARE
Commitment to safety
HEALTHCARE DISPARITY
IMPROVING DIAGNOSIS
Individual Impact
MEDICATION SAFETY
PATIENT COMMUNICATION
SAFETY STORY
Transparency
The Patient Safety Authority is pleased to announce the winners of our 2026 I AM Patient Safety Achievement Awards! Judges evaluated 169 nominations from 72 hospitals and facilities, and selected individuals and teams for their accomplishments in 10 award categories.

Reading award nominations from hospitals and facilities making healthcare safer in the commonwealth reconnects us with the importance and impact of our collaborative efforts. Much of our focus at PSA is on looking at data: what went wrong, why did an incident or error happen, how might things be better? What the data doesn’t often show is the story behind those issues, and what happens next.

We know the work of our nurses, physicians, therapists, social workers—everyone involved in patient care—is essential. But it also can be difficult or dangerous, and those daily efforts are often overlooked, underfunded, underappreciated. There’s no database for reporting when things go how they’re supposed to, or when someone goes that extra mile for a patient, or a team finds a unique solution to an ongoing safety issue.

The IAPS awards allow us to share those stories, so we can not only celebrate their successes but also raise awareness of the daily struggles and challenges facing healthcare workers today—and inspire renewed commitment to realizing safe care for everyone. From May 4 through June 12, we will post stories, photos, and videos here and on our social media pages to celebrate these patient safety champions.

Congratulations to our accomplished winners and nominees, and thank you for everything you do.

RUNNERS UP

AMBULATORY CARE

  • Colleen Berkery, Jefferson Surgical Center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
  • MASC Team, Monroeville Ambulatory Surgical Center, Allegheny Health Network

COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

  • Surgical Services Department and Leadership (Operating Room), Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health
  • Interdisciplinary Pressure Injury Reduction Team, WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, WellSpan Health

HEALTHCARE DISPARITY

  • Sara Cohen/Women’s Health PAH, Penn Medicine – Pennsylvania Hospital
  • Adult Capillary Sampling Workgroup, Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Medicine

IMPROVING DIAGNOSIS

  • Trauma Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Therapists (Jaclyn Rinkevich, Caroline Luisi, Bunny Phillips, and Adrianna Reed), 5N Nursing Leadership (Kim Muoio, Alli Battistella, and Jake Dombroski), and Gerontology (Dr. Morgan Mihok), Allegheny Health Network
  • Andi Lint, Dr. Michael Desiderio, Lisa Sunyecz, Dr. Christine Flinn, Jessica Spiker, Stacy Pocius, Bill Johnson, Katie Tringhese, Janean Lubich, Andréa Atkinson, Heather Thompson, Dr. Ziad Dimachkie, Michelle Howard-Diggs, and Blair Lavake, WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital, WVU Medicine

INDIVIDUAL IMPACT

  • Dr. Jeaninne Einfalt, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Lehigh Valley Health Network-Jefferson
  • Emily Rzodkiewicz, UPMC Hamot, UPMC

MEDICATION SAFETY

  • Neil Wetcher, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Lehigh Valley Health Network-Jefferson
  • Diana Colonna and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Team, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Tower Health

PATIENT COMMUNICATION

  • Medicine and Behavioral Health Clinical Effectiveness teams, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine
  • Lindsey Morris and Jimmy Landy, UPMC Hamot, UPMC

SAFETY STORY

  • The Philadelphia Campus Behavioral Health Clinician Team, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Dr. Vivek Ahya, Dr. Julie Uspal, and Patricia Macolino, Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine:

TRANSPARENCY

  • Kenneth Miller, Kimberly Smith, Robert Leshko, Salvatore Maida, and Mark Lengvarsky, Lehigh Valley Health Network-Cedar Crest, Lehigh Valley Health Network-Jefferson;
  • Oncology Medical Intensive Care Unit Team, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine

PAST WINNERS


JUDGING

Going Above and Beyond 

  • Extraordinary actions or demonstration of going the extra mile
Innovativeness

  • Creative solution to a challenge or unique approach
Impact

  • Significant effect on reducing harm or improving patient care
Patient-centeredness

  • Inclusion of patient in the initiative and/or recognition of the direct impact on patients
Sustainability

  • Likelihood of and/or ability for continuation of the initiative
Scalability

  • Consideration for and/or ability for others to implement this initiative on a broad scale and value in doing so