Keynote at Mount Sinai Health System’s Medication Safety Together Summit

I was truly honored to represent the Emily Jerry Foundation last week at Mount Sinai Health System, where I had the privilege of delivering the keynote address to kick off their Medication Safety Together – An Interdisciplinary Summit for Shared Learning and Safer Systems. It was an extraordinary day, one I will remember for a very long time.

What made this presentation so meaningful for me wasn’t just the summit itself, it was the incredibly heartfelt response from the clinicians in attendance. Receiving a standing ovation for Emily’s story, and for the work I’ve been doing so passionately in medication safety for more than 16 years, was profoundly humbling. One nurse kindly shared, “There were no dry eyes in the room for our dear Emily.” Hearing dedicated caregivers refer to my beautiful daughter as “our dear Emily” touches me more than I can express. I often remind the healthcare teams I work with that the guardian angel in the EJF logo, designed in Emily’s likeness, wasn’t chosen because I see her only as my guardian angel… she is theirs as well.

Moments like this remind me of the very unconventional path I’ve been on since 2006, when I lost my beautiful daughter to a tragic and preventable medication error on what should have been her last day of treatment. It’s a path I never would have chosen, but one that God has continued to guide with purpose. Through Emily’s legacy, He has opened doors to work alongside remarkable clinicians, educators, and healthcare leaders across the country, all striving toward the same shared mission of zero preventable harm.

What struck me most at Mount Sinai was the deep commitment their entire team has to fostering a true culture of safety. The thoughtful posts shared afterward by leaders across the system, expressing their dedication to transparency, learning, and supporting their teams, were all incredibly inspiring. Their passion for improving systems, processes, and protocols, aligned perfectly with everything the Emily Jerry Foundation advocates for.

A heartfelt thank you to the outstanding team at Mount Sinai who made this summit such a tremendous success. People like, Joe Pinto, Beth Oliver, David Reich, Mackenzy Scott,MBA,RN, Kim Zammit, Isabella Royes, Simone Muller, and so many others whose hard work and vision made this event possible.

I genuinely look forward to continuing this life saving work together improving medication safety and preventing the preventable!

During this giving season, please consider making a charitable contribution to support our mission to improve medication safety!
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