Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Award

The ACGME’s newest award, the Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Award, will be given for the first time in 2024, and annually thereafter to a resident or fellow in an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship. This award honors the life of Lewis Blackman, a vibrant, intelligent young man who died November 6, 2000, when a series of post-operative issues following elective surgery were not recognized by the nurses and residents caring for him. The award will honor residents and fellows who have worked to implement strategies to improve the understanding of and show demonstrable improvement in patient safety in their Sponsoring Institution or residency/fellowship program.

Nominations
Nominees must demonstrate exemplary skills in leading projects or programs to improve education in patient safety for clinicians, which can include residents, fellows, or other health care workers.

Any resident or fellow in an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program (must be a current resident or fellow at the time of nomination) can be nominated for a project or program that highlights the innovation and leadership of the nominee’s work to improve education with demonstrable outcomes in patient safety. As all members of health care teams are vital to patient safety, projects or programs are expected to be interdisciplinary.

Timeline
The award will be presented annually at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference, during which awardees will be invited to present their award-winning work. Travel expenses for the awardee and a guest, as well as the awardee’s conference registration fee, will be paid for by the ACGME. Additionally, each winner will receive a monetary award of $1,000.

More information and nomination materials for the inaugural presentation of the Lewis Blackman Award for Patient Safety will be available in early January 2023.