Annual Medication Safety Conference

Session - Power in Partnership: Multidisciplinary Wins in Medication Safety

Dr. Sidawy serves as the Director of Medication Safety, Education, and Innovation and Medication Safety Officer at Adventist HealthCare. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Damascus, a Master of Science in Pharmacology from the Medical College of Ohio, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Sidawy began his career in scientific research before discovering his passion for patient care and medication safety. Over the course of his career, he has developed extensive expertise in hospital pharmacy and quality improvement, leading initiatives that advance safety, operational excellence, and patient outcomes. At Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, he directed the launch of several key programs, including the Anticoagulation Management Service and the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.

In 2018, he was appointed System Medication Safety Officer for Adventist HealthCare, where he has led multiple systemwide initiatives—such as reducing therapeutic duplication in medication therapy, transitioning from insulin pens to vials, and improving infusion pump drug library utilization—to strengthen safety and standardization across the health system.

As Director of Medication Safety, Education, and Innovation, Dr. Sidawy oversees strategic efforts that integrate evidence-based practices, education, and technology to advance medication safety and quality of care. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Patient Safety Center, where he contributes his expertise to regional efforts in patient safety and clinical excellence.

Session - Power in Partnership: Multidisciplinary Wins in Medication Safety

Jyness Williams, PharmD, CPPS, CPHQ serves as the System Medication Safety Officer for LifeBridge Health, where she leads the development and implementation of medication safety strategy across the enterprise. In this role, she partners across disciplines in a matrixed health system—from frontline clinicians to executive leadership—to build scalable safety infrastructure that supports safe, reliable medication-use practices for both patients and the clinicians who care for them. Her work centers on strengthening interdisciplinary communication, elevating shared learning, and designing practical solutions to mitigate risk and reduce preventable harm. With an emphasis on cultivating a culture of transparency, psychological safety, and collaborative problem-solving, her approach is grounded in High Reliability Organization (HRO) principles and data-driven improvement. Jyness is committed to creating environments where clinicians feel supported, empowered, and connected in the shared mission of delivering safe, high-quality patient care.

Session - Power in Partnership: Multidisciplinary Wins in Medication Safety

Shawnee Daniel-McCalla is a dedicated Pediatric Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. She is passionate about providing exceptional care to the smallest and most vulnerable patients. In addition to her clinical role, Shawnee serves as the Residency Coordinator for the Pediatric Pharmacy Residency Program, where she mentors and guides the next generation of pharmacists. She also chairs the Pediatric Medication Safety Workgroup, working tirelessly to ensure the safest possible care for her patients.

 A Brooklyn, NY native, Shawnee earned her BS in Biochemistry from Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, and her PharmD degree from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA. She further developed her skills through two residency programs: a PGY1 residency at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell and Columbia University, and a PGY2 residency in Pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). She is happy to be here today to talk about her experience in collaborating with others to solve pediatric medication safety challenges. 

Session - Balancing Safety and Workflow for the Multidisciplinary Team: BCMA in the Perioperative Setting

Dr. Ari Weintraub is the Director of Perioperative Informatics and an Associate Medical Director of Analytics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed residencies in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital at Sinai (Baltimore, MD) and anesthesiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Following a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, he joined the faculty as an attending anesthesiologist. As the lead clinical champion for Epic Anesthesia at CHOP and member of the Epic Anesthesia Specialty Steering Board, he champions optimization of the electronic health record (EHR), with a particular focus on medication safety initiatives in the perioperative setting. Dr. Weintraub advocates for leveraging technology to reduce errors and enhance patient outcomes.

His clinical interests include pediatric endocrinopathies in the perioperative setting, systems-based safety improvements, and interdisciplinary collaboration to drive cultural change in medication practices. Dr. Weintraub is a frequent contributor to institutional safety efforts and is passionate about sharing real-world strategies for overcoming barriers to technology adoption in high-acuity environments. Outside of work, he enjoys brewing and drinking coffee, smoking and grilling meat, ice fishing on the Schuylkill River, and arguing about the correct way to pronounce "Schuylkill" and "Bala Cynwyd".

Session - Balancing Safety and Workflow for the Multidisciplinary Team: BCMA in the Perioperative Setting

James H Abernathy, III, MD, MPH is a Professor, Vice Chair for Strategy, and Division Chief of Cardiac Anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins.  He completed medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, did a residency in Anesthesiology and a fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. 

Dr Abernathy collaborates with human factors engineers and healthcare architects to improve the delivery of clinical care. 

Session - Investigating Infusion Pump Errors: Building a Strong Cross-Functional Team for Safer Patient Care

Rosemary Duncan is a medication safety officer at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is also the residency program director for the PGY1/PGY2 Medication-Use Safety and Policy residency program. Her work involves investigating medication-related events and helping develop system changes that promote the safe use of medications within the hospital and health-system. Rosemary completed her PGY2 in medication safety at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and her PGY1 in community and ambulatory care pharmacy at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, where she also received her PharmD.

She is a member of the MSHP Medication Safety Subcommittee, the ASHP Informatics and Technology Section Advisory Group on Operations and Automation, and the Vizient Quality, Safety, and Compliance Committee. In 2017 she was awarded the MSHP Jeffrey Ensor Emerging Leader Award, and in both 2019 and 2025 she and her Johns Hopkins colleagues were awarded the annual MSHP Medication Safety Award.

Session - Investigating Infusion Pump Errors: Building a Strong Cross-Functional Team for Safer Patient Care

Katie Outten serves as the Patient Safety Innovation Coordinator at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she leads initiatives focused on enhancing safety culture and driving continuous improvement in healthcare delivery. With a strong background in patient advocacy and systems-based thinking, Katie brings a collaborative and forward-thinking approach to innovation in clinical environments. Her work centers on empowering teams, leveraging data for proactive safety strategies, and fostering environments where learning and transparency thrive. Katie is passionate about creating meaningful change that improves outcomes for both patients and providers.

Session - Investigating Infusion Pump Errors: Building a Strong Cross-Functional Team for Safer Patient Care

Jack recently graduated from Bucknell University in 2024 with a bachelors in biomedical engineering and has started his journey at Johns Hopkins Hospital since then. His role involves patient safety investigation (HERO), reviewing new devices for hospital use and institutional use, device recall support, and more. Jack is currently pursuing an MBA through LSU's program.

Session - Investigating Infusion Pump Errors: Building a Strong Cross-Functional Team for Safer Patient Care

Jamie was called to nursing as a second career after supporting multiple family members through serious health conditions. She began as a nursing assistant in Madison, Wisconsin before returning to her home state of Maryland to complete a BSN at Towson University. Jamie started her career at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2013 as a Clinical Nurse Extern in the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit before finding a home on a telemetry unit in the Department of Medicine. Within the Department of Medicine, Jamie supported quality improvement initiatives and became a unit CUSP champion for patient safety. In 2019, Jamie joined the Office of Nursing Professional Practice to focus on advancing evidence-based practice across the Johns Hopkins Hospital through policy changes, product conversions, and advocating for frontline nursing needs. Jamie is currently pursuing a Masters in Nursing Education at Stevenson University.

Session - Beyond the Bedside: Engaging Manufacturers and Vendors to Drive System-Level Patient Safety Improvements