It was truly a joy to attend the ASHP Pharmacy Futures Meeting last week in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with so many outstanding professionals in the pharmacy community, individuals who have mentored, educated, supported, and inspired me for over a decade and a half in my journey with the Emily Jerry Foundation and our shared mission to improve medication safety.
When I first began this work, it was the pharmacy community that immediately welcomed me into the fold with open arms. From the very beginning, they understood what I was trying to accomplish and shared my deep passion for preventing medication errors and saving lives. Over the years, many of these dedicated clinician caregivers have become not only trusted colleagues, but also dear friends.
Events like this always feel like a reunion. I’m reminded how fortunate we are to be surrounded by so many experts who are just as committed to driving meaningful change in patient and medication safety. Being in the same space with so many like-minded leaders each year continues to give me tremendous hope for the future of healthcare.
It was an absolute honor and privilege to attend the ASHP Pharmacy Futures Conference last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, on behalf of the Emily Jerry Foundation, where we proudly celebrated the accomplishments of our Medication Safety Scholars.
Together with our valued partners at the ASHP Foundation, we recognized five outstanding Doctor of Pharmacy students, Macaleigh Mancuso, Sam Patton, Azhar Hussain, Travis Schubert, and Whitney Dike, for successfully completing the second academic year of our Medication Safety Scholars Program.
While Whitney was unable to attend in person, it was a true pleasure to connect with the other four Scholars at the conference. I was incredibly moved by their passion, leadership, and unwavering dedication to improving medication safety across all areas of healthcare. Their commitment truly inspires me and gives me tremendous hope for the future of patient safety.
As we all know, “do no harm” is the fundamental principal in healthcare. Yet medication errors still account for the largest percentage of preventable medical errors, with an astounding loss of life every year. Pharmacists, as the medication experts, play a vital role in improving outcomes and ensuring safer care for every patient. While medication safety is taught in pharmacy school, mastering the skills necessary to take a leadership position in this space requires real-world engagement and application.
That’s exactly what the Medication Safety Scholars Program is designed to provide. Through a comprehensive, structured educational experience…including completion of the ASHP/ISMP Medication Safety Certificate Program, monthly mentoring calls led by our coach, Dr. John Hertig, with nationally recognized medication safety experts, delivery of an educational activity, and the development of a future-focused improvement initiative, these Scholars have stepped forward as future leaders in this critical space.
I’m incredibly proud of each of you and excited for the positive impact you’ll make on medication safety throughout your careers!
This next generation of pharmacy leaders inspires confidence that we can and will achieve safer systems of care, and ultimately help prevent tragic medication errors from occurring. Thank you all for embracing this mission. You are making a difference that will ultimately save countless lives!
Over the past 16+ years, I’ve had the immense privilege of sharing Emily’s story and speaking across the nation on behalf of the Emily Jerry Foundation. From hospitals and universities to national conferences, I’ve devoted my life to a singular mission, ensuring that what happened to my beautiful daughter Emily never happens to another patient… or family.
Preventable medication errors continue to claim far too many lives, lives that could and should be saved. And while these tragedies are heartbreaking, they are not inevitable. They are preventable. I truly believe we can save countless lives together by staying laser-focused on what I’ve always understood to be the primary cause of virtually every one of these tragedies: the inherent “human error” component in medicine. The reality is, God made us all fallible, no matter how well-intended, how thoroughly educated, or how experienced we may be. It doesn’t matter how many times a physician has successfully performed a procedure, how many times a nurse has administered a patient’s medication regimen, or how often a pharmacy team has compounded a treatment for a patient…every person remains capable of making a “human” mistake. That’s the bad news I always feel compelled to share. But here’s the good news: we can definitely fix this going forward. By acknowledging our human fallibility and intentionally designing our systems, processes, and protocols around that fact—and by fully embracing the High Reliability Organization (HRO) journey and the proven methodologies that drive continuous improvement in healthcare—we can truly begin saving countless lives.
That’s why I’m reaching out humbly to all my friends and healthcare colleagues, who are just as passionate as I am about improving patient and medication safety. If you believe your hospital, health system, pharmacy team, nursing staff, physician specialists, university, or medical conference, could benefit from a powerful, deeply personal message on why medication safety matters now more than ever, I would be honored to speak and collaborate with your teams.
Because this isn’t just a “healthcare issue”…it affects all of us. Every one of us will receive healthcare in our lifetime. So will every one of our loved ones. Let’s work together to build systems that are worthy of that trust!
If you’d like to connect or explore the possibility of bringing this message to your organization, please don’t hesitate to reach out and send me an email at chris@emilyjerryfoundation.org.
The week before last, I had the privilege of spending a few days in New York City to speak at a truly impactful Medication Safety Symposium hosted by Touro University’s College of Pharmacy. The following day, I was honored to join my friend Dr. Emily Messing, PharmD, BCPS, CPPS, a Touro alum and Medication Safety Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, for a Dean’s Hour lecture with a remarkable group of pharmacy students pursuing their doctorates.
It was also a very special moment to finally meet Azhar Hussain in person, one of the Emily Jerry Foundation’s five distinguished Medication Safety Scholars. Azhar attended the session and will graduate our program in June at the ASHP Pharmacy Futures Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
When I founded the Emily Jerry Foundation more than 16 years ago, I never wanted to be someone who simply told a heartbreaking story about my daughter and then walked away. Especially not when it comes to the clinician caregivers, I deeply respect…those who always lead with empathy, compassion, and a relentless commitment to improving the quality of life for patients facing chronic disease. Over the years, I’ve learned that many of these professionals entered healthcare out of a genuine love for science and a sincere desire to save lives and improve the outcomes for the patients they are so dedicated to serving.
That’s why, from the very beginning, the Foundation’s mission and my advocacy have been rooted in being part of the solution, working to prevent the kinds of tragic, preventable medication errors that took Emily’s life. My goal has always been to help stop these errors before they happen…ultimately saving countless lives in the process.
Opportunities like the recent one’s at Touro University continue to inspire me. These students aren’t just mastering the complexities of lifesaving medications, they’re stepping into their roles as the next generation of healthcare leaders. They’re the ones who will carry the torch forward, with a deep and unwavering commitment to patient safety and error prevention across every area of care.
A heartfelt thank you to my friend Dr. Batoul Senhaji-Tomza, PharmD, MPH for making all this possible and for organizing such meaningful events. I’m truly excited to continue growing the partnership between Touro University College of Pharmacy and the Emily Jerry Foundation.
Photo credit; Rebecca L. Rosen
After returning from an incredibly meaningful and productive trip last week to Touro University College of Pharmacy’s Times Square Campus, I’m feeling deeply grateful and inspired. The Medication Safety Symposium that Touro organized and hosted was truly outstanding, yet another event that perfectly aligns with the Emily Jerry Foundation’s core mission: preventing devastating medication errors and ultimately saving countless lives.
I’m profoundly thankful for opportunities like this to share my daughter Emily’s story and the invaluable lessons learned since her tragic passing in 2006. These lessons have guided what I now consider to be my life’s work for the past 16 years, striving every day to drive improvements in the design and implementation of core systems, clinical practices, and the overall safety culture in healthcare. It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to be able to collaborate and be mentored by so many exceptional clinician experts in all modalities across the country…professionals who share the same exact passion and commitment for improving medication safety that I have always had.
A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Batoul Senhaji-Tomza, PharmD, MPH, for organizing such a powerful and important symposium, and for inviting me to join a panel of leaders dedicated to advancing patient safety. The shared knowledge, energy, and sense of purpose throughout the event left a lasting impression on all of us.
Another highlight of my visit was the opportunity to return the following day and deliver an additional lecture to the amazing PharmD students at Touro, alongside Dr. Emily Messing, PharmD, BCPS, CPPS, a Touro alumni, who is now the Medication Safety Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Thanks again to the Touro University College of Pharmacy team, for the warm welcome and for all you do to elevate the vital importance of patient safety and medication error prevention. Together, we’ll continue to lead the charge toward a healthcare system where zero preventable harm isn’t just a goal…it’s a reality!
Photo credit: Rebecca L. Rosen
On behalf of the Emily Jerry Foundation, I am truly honored and privileged to be presenting at the Medication Safety Symposium at Touro University College of Pharmacy’s Times Square Campus next week, on April 2nd, 2025.
A huge thank you to Dr. Batoul Senhaji-Tomza, PharmD, MPH, for organizing this incredible event and for the opportunity to join a distinguished panel of medication safety leaders to share insights, experiences, and solutions aimed at preventing medication errors and improving patient safety overall.
Over the past 16 years, my life’s work has been dedicated to honoring my beautiful daughter Emily’s legacy by advocating for improvements in systems design, protocols, and best practices that are proven to reduce the risk of human error in healthcare. With preventable medication errors accounting for nearly half of all medical mistakes, this remains a critical issue. I am committed to driving meaningful discussions and actionable solutions that prioritize patient safety with the goal of zero preventable harm.
If you’re passionate about medication safety, be sure to register and please join us! Free ACPE-approved CE credits are available for pharmacists. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us to continue to collaborate, learn, and drive change together that will ultimately help save countless lives going forward!!
🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eFrCsxhM
I want to take a moment to recognize an extraordinary group of PharmD students from the University of Utah and Roseman University of Health Sciences Colleges of Pharmacy who made a lasting impact at Utah’s Legislative Day on February 12 at their state Capitol. These future pharmacy leaders took the initiative to advocate for improved medication safety, presenting a compelling poster to state legislators that underscored the importance of pharmacy technician certification and training.
Their advocacy aimed to help Utah achieve an A-rating on the Emily Jerry Foundation’s National Pharmacy Technician Initiative Scorecard by pushing for stronger pharmacy technician certification standards. They highlighted the critical role that well-educated, career-oriented pharmacy technicians play in preventing errors and ensuring patient safety.
Last November, I had the honor of speaking to P1-P4 students at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. As I do in nearly all my lectures to future healthcare leaders, I reminded them that the guardian angel logo of the Emily Jerry Foundation…featuring the likeness of my beautiful daughter, Emily…isn’t there just because I believe she’s my guardian angel (though I know she is!). She is their guardian angel too, representing the human side of their future careers in healthcare. We are all patients at some point in our lives, as are our loved ones. Keeping that perspective at the center of their work will make all the difference.
That’s why it was truly humbling to see Emily’s story included in their advocacy efforts. I am deeply grateful for their passion and dedication. Engaging directly with legislators and healthcare leaders is how real change happens, and I have no doubt that their efforts will shape the future of medication safety in Utah and beyond.
A special thank you to Senator Evan Vickers, a pharmacist himself, Dr. Krystal Moorman-Bishir, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP for her mentorship, the Utah Pharmacy Association (UPhA) and the Utah Society of Health-System Pharmacists (USHP) for supporting these remarkable students in their mission to advance patient care.
To all the students involved, your commitment to improving medication safety and saving lives from preventable errors is truly inspiring. I can’t wait to see the incredible impact you will continue to make in pharmacy and healthcare!
Thank you so much Germfree, for this incredibly kind tribute to my beautiful daughter, Emily. Your unwavering commitment to improving medication safety means more than words can express. It is through innovative solutions like the high-performance medication preparation technology systems, and tools, you develop that we can truly reduce the probability of human error in the pharmacy workflow…preventing tragedies before they happen and ultimately saving countless lives. Please continue forge ahead with this vital work, as these proven technology solutions will undoubtedly become the standard of care. Together, we honor Emily’s legacy by ensuring a safer future for all patients.
*****
Today, we remember and honor Emily Jerry on what would have been her 21st birthday. Emily’s life was tragically cut short at just 2 years old due to a preventable IV compounding error—an unimaginable loss that no parent should ever have to endure.
From this heartbreak, her father, Christopher Jerry, turned his grief into a mission: to ensure no other family experiences the same tragedy. Through the Emily Jerry Foundation, he has dedicated his life to patient safety advocacy, fighting for better pharmacy standards, and raising awareness about the critical importance of precision in medication preparation. Over the summer, we had the privilege of speaking with Chris about Emily’s story and the foundation’s impact. His strength, resilience, and unwavering dedication are truly inspiring.
As we remember Emily today on her birthday, we commit to continuing the work she inspired—to ensure every patient is treated with the care and safety they deserve. We invite you to watch Chris’s interview and join us in remembering a beautiful life taken too soon, but never forgotten. 💛
Click on the image below to watch the video.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, my sweet baby girl, Emily. Even though today you would be a 21-year-old young woman, you will forever be my “baby girl.” This time of year has always been incredibly bittersweet for me. Over the years, I’ve searched for another word to capture my feelings, but “bittersweet” remains the only one that truly expresses the deep mix of love, longing, and gratitude in my heart. I miss you more than words can ever convey, but I find immense peace knowing that you are with our Lord…and that one day, we will be reunited for all of eternity.
I remember that Friday morning in 2006 so vividly. Your mother and I made the difficult decision to admit you to the hospital for what was supposed to be your final round of chemotherapy. By God’s grace, we had received the miraculous news we had prayed for…the tumor had completely disappeared. This last treatment was meant to ensure that no residual cancer cells remained, so you could be discharged and come home, cancer-free. But instead of celebrating your recovery as a family that Sunday, you went home to be with the Lord just three days later, the victim of a tragic and preventable medication error.
In my devastation, I remember crying out, Why, God? I don’t understand. You just cured her, and now You’re taking her? But now, with time and faith, I see what I couldn’t comprehend back then…God always has the perfect plan, even when we can’t even begin to see it. As He promises in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.”
From the deepest sorrow, God has brought so much purpose. Emily, your short time on this earth was not in vain. I am humbled and grateful that so many incredible caregivers and clinicians now refer to you as the “Gerber Baby” of patient and medication safety. Your story…the simple, human side of healthcare that we can all relate to…has touched hearts around the world, helping to prevent errors and save countless lives. Your legacy continues to live on in the hearts and minds of people around the world, truly making an impact, reminding us that we all receive healthcare at some point, as do our loved ones, and that safety in medicine is not just a goal, but a responsibility.
As your daddy, I am eternally grateful for the two beautiful years God gave me with you.
Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I love you always.
Daddy
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.
Last Updated: September 22, 2025 by ejfadmin
Purdue University College of Pharmacy Lecture on Patient Safety
Last week, on behalf of the Emily Jerry Foundation, I had the honor of returning to Purdue University College of Pharmacy to lecture in the Patient Safety and Informatics course (PHRM 868), taught by my good friend, Dr. Dan Degnan. This required course for all third-year PharmD students pursuing their doctorates, challenges future pharmacists to reflect deeply on their role in preventing harm and shaping a culture of safety in healthcare.
For me, these moments are deeply personal. I share Emily’s tragic story to provide the human side of patient safety that we can all relate to. Every one of us, and our loved ones, will receive healthcare at some point in our lives. That reality underscores why this work matters so much. My daughter’s life was cut short in 2006 by a preventable medication error, an event that is sadly not isolated, but part of a much larger issue claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year in the United States. Errors like these are not inevitable, they are preventable. And “preventable” means they simply don’t have to happen.
That is why courses like Dr. Degnan’s are so critical. They do more than teach content, they shape mindsets, instill responsibility, and inspire future pharmacists to be guardians of safety at every step of the medication use process.
One student’s reflection from the previous lecture captured it perfectly:
“Chris’s story didn’t invoke fear, but responsibility. It pushed me to delve deeper into patient safety… to anticipate potential pitfalls before they arise.”
Another wrote:
“Through his words, passion, and hope I felt changed and motivated to honor Emily. It is my duty to change the system and spread awareness to prevent another occurrence like hers from happening again.”
To know that Emily’s legacy continues to resonate, and motivates real change, fills me with gratitude and determination to keep forging ahead together with our vital mission to save lives from preventable medication errors.
My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Degnan for inviting me back, and to the Purdue P3 students for your engagement. Your commitment assures me that Emily’s legacy, and the mission to achieve zero preventable harm, will live on in the lives you protect and ultimately end up saving.