As part of MPSC’s Minogue Awards, the award for distinguished achievement highlights “Safety by Design: Embedding Team, Quality and Access into Everyday Practice,” a hospital-wide effort that has driven measurable improvements in safe, high‑quality care. The program was created to address post-pandemic challenges, including workforce shifts and widening health disparities.

“Receiving the Award of Distinction is a meaningful recognition of the dedication our teams show every day to deliver safe, high‑quality care for our community,” says Amy Shlossman, president of Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical Center. “This honor reflects the incredible dedication of our teams across the hospital who came together to strengthen our culture where quality and patient-centered care go hand-in-hand.”

Adds Chief Nursing Officer Amanda Shrout, “What’s remarkable about this initiative is how it involved our teams in every part of the hospital, united in advancing our three key pillars: team, quality and access to care. By working together to problem solve, analyze data and transform challenges into actions, we created a culture where safety is embedded into our structures, systems and workflows and has improved outcomes.”

Building a stronger, more connected model of care

Sinai launched Safety by Design to engage its workforce, embed safety into daily practice and build a culture that elevates Sinai as a great place to work, learn and receive care. Core components include:

• Daily safety huddles that identify operational needs and escalate safety issues
• Multidisciplinary service line deep dives to identify opportunities and track measurable outcomes
• Patient flow team to help improve patient access and reduce delays in care
• New recognition programs and engagement opportunities that reinforce teamwork, communication and feedback loops, and appreciation of our healthcare workforce  

Together, these changes have helped create more seamless care experiences, greater workforce engagement and stronger alignment across clinical teams.

Meaningful, sustained improvement

Since implementing Safety by Design, Sinai has made measurable and sustained progress in key quality and operational measures, including improved care coordination, patient flow and employee engagement. These advances reflect the hospital’s long‑term commitment to putting patients first and ensuring every team member has the support, training and tools to deliver excellent care.

“This work reflects a shift from isolated improvement projects to a unified, system‑level approach to quality and safety,” says Stephanie Peditto, president and CEO of the Mid‑Atlantic Patient Safety Center. “Sinai Hospital has created a model that strengthens care delivery and offers valuable lessons for organizations across the region.”

The transformational initiative has also elevated Sinai’s statewide quality rankings from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission, with Sinai most recently earning the highest reward for quality measures in the state. 

Circle of Honor recognition

Sinai teams also earned MPSC Circle of Honor recognition for their entry on “Hardwiring Smoke-Free Surgical Practice to Protect the Perioperative Team and Patients,” a program that protects both patients and surgical staff from potentially harmful surgical smoke.

By redesigning workflows and standardizing safer equipment, the team ensured that smoke is now consistently removed during procedures — boosting compliance to more than 95 percent and creating a cleaner, safer environment in every operating room. The effort reflects emerging national standards and shows how thoughtful system changes can make a meaningful difference in patient and workforce safety.

A recognition of ongoing commitment

This year’s MPSC awardees were selected from nearly 50 submissions and will be honored at the 2026 Mid‑Atlantic Patient Safety Conference in April.

Named in honor of William Minogue, MD, FACP—Maryland Patient Safety Center’s first president and executive director—the Minogue Awards were established by the Center’s Board of Directors to recognize Dr. Minogue’s enduring commitment to patient safety and to honor organizations making a demonstrable difference through innovation.