Safer Systems, Smarter Teams: Delivering Just Culture Through Strategic Project Execution
Complimentary
Learning Level: Intermediate
Time: 1000 - 1200 ET
Session Length: 2 hours
In complex, rapidly changing, fast-paced healthcare environments, fostering a culture of safety is essential to reducing harm and improving outcomes. This presentation focuses on how structured project management can support the successful implementation of a Just Culture framework, designed to shift organizations from punitive responses to systems-based thinking and shared accountability. Central to this transformation is the goal of increasing medication error reporting, enhancing transparency, promoting continuous learning and and process improvements.
Attendees will explore the integration of NCC MERP classification as a standardized tool for categorizing medication errors by severity and cause, providing a data-driven foundation for targeted interventions. The session will also introduce the development and operationalization of a Medication Error Reduction Plan (MERP), a requirement under California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regulations. Key components include strategies for identifying high-risk processes, conducting root cause analyses, improving staff education, and implementing robust monitoring and feedback mechanisms. Case studies with strategies will be provided in a resource-scarce environment, and building strategic partnerships, interdisciplinary relationships with executive leaders to support a just culture.
By combining Just Culture principles with regulatory compliance, quality improvement tools, and project management best practices, participants will gain a roadmap to elevate error reporting, reduce preventable harm, and drive sustainable culture change in pharmacy and broader clinical practice settings.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the principles of Just Culture and how project management methodologies can support its implementation in healthcare settings.
- Develop executive presence by leveraging technology and analytics to apply the NCC MERP Index for classifying medication errors, identifying data-driven trends, and engaging executives and departmental leaders in collaborative, targeted safety interventions.
- Design and implement an 11-element Medication Error Reduction Plan (MERP) that aligns with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regulatory requirements and incorporates recommendations from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). The plan will include standardized error classification strategies, facility-specific safety initiatives, robust monitoring processes, and staff engagement frameworks to promote a culture of continuous improvement.
