Twenty years ago, I lost my daughter Emily to a preventable medication error.
The week before last, I stood on Kiawah Island delivering the keynote at the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SCSHP) 2026 Annual Meeting…surrounded by clinicians who have dedicated their lives to making sure tragedies like hers don’t happen again.
That’s something I don’t think I’ll ever stop pausing to reflect on, because this work was never part of the plan.
And yet, over the past 17 years, I’ve been given the extraordinary privilege of walking alongside a community of clinician caregivers who refuse to accept preventable harm as inevitable. What I’ve come to realize is something incredibly powerful and encouraging…I’m not alone in this work.
All the healthcare professionals I met at SCSHP embody that in every sense. These are not just experts in their field—they are people who feel a deep sense of responsibility for the safety of every single patient they serve. People who are actively redesigning systems, strengthening processes, and building safeguards so that human error never reaches the bedside.
And what continues to inspire me, every single time, is this:
They are just as passionate about this mission as I am.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to see Emily’s legacy take shape in ways I never could have imagined, in classrooms, in legislation, in safety initiatives, and in the hearts and minds of clinicians across the country.
Moments like this past week are a powerful reminder of that.
Her story is no longer just my story…it lives on through all of you.
-Through your work.
-Through your commitment.
-Through the lives you protect every single day.
To the entire SCSHP community, thank you…not just for the opportunity to speak, but for the work you do day in and day out to strengthen systems, improve care, and prevent the preventable.
I am so incredibly grateful to be on this journey with you!
Together, we are turning tragedy into purpose, saving countless lives in the process…and moving closer and closer to zero preventable harm.
Last Updated: April 3, 2026 by ejfadmin
EJF Keynote at the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SCSHP) 2026 Annual Meeting
Twenty years ago, I lost my daughter Emily to a preventable medication error.
The week before last, I stood on Kiawah Island delivering the keynote at the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SCSHP) 2026 Annual Meeting…surrounded by clinicians who have dedicated their lives to making sure tragedies like hers don’t happen again.
That’s something I don’t think I’ll ever stop pausing to reflect on, because this work was never part of the plan.
And yet, over the past 17 years, I’ve been given the extraordinary privilege of walking alongside a community of clinician caregivers who refuse to accept preventable harm as inevitable. What I’ve come to realize is something incredibly powerful and encouraging…I’m not alone in this work.
All the healthcare professionals I met at SCSHP embody that in every sense. These are not just experts in their field—they are people who feel a deep sense of responsibility for the safety of every single patient they serve. People who are actively redesigning systems, strengthening processes, and building safeguards so that human error never reaches the bedside.
And what continues to inspire me, every single time, is this:
They are just as passionate about this mission as I am.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to see Emily’s legacy take shape in ways I never could have imagined, in classrooms, in legislation, in safety initiatives, and in the hearts and minds of clinicians across the country.
Moments like this past week are a powerful reminder of that.
Her story is no longer just my story…it lives on through all of you.
-Through your work.
-Through your commitment.
-Through the lives you protect every single day.
To the entire SCSHP community, thank you…not just for the opportunity to speak, but for the work you do day in and day out to strengthen systems, improve care, and prevent the preventable.
I am so incredibly grateful to be on this journey with you!
Together, we are turning tragedy into purpose, saving countless lives in the process…and moving closer and closer to zero preventable harm.
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Our Mission
The Emily Jerry Foundation is determined to help make our nation’s, world renowned, medical facilities safer for everyone, beginning with our babies and children. We are accomplishing this very important objective by focusing on increasing public awareness of key patient safety related issues and identifying technology and best practices that are proven to minimize the “human error” component of medicine. Through our ongoing efforts The Emily Jerry Foundation is working hard to save lives every day.
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