Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine Announces New Board Members

Evanston, IL – (July 1, 2020) The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) today announced that Doug Salvador, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School- Baystate and Ann Gaffey, RN, MSN, CPHRM, DFASHRM, President, Healthcare Risk and Safety Strategies, LLC have joined the SIDM Board of Directors. Dr. Salvador and Ms. Gaffey’s service began in May and the initial Board term is for three years.

Each year, diagnostic errors affect 12 million adults in outpatient settings and they are the most common cause of medical errors reported by patients. SIDM is the only organization focused solely on the problem of diagnostic error and improving the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosis.

“SIDM is supporting significant work in diagnostic practice improvement including our DxQI Seed Grant Program, for which Doug is Chair of the Grant Review Committee. Doug and Ann’s experience in that domain and their wealth of knowledge on improving diagnostic quality and safety will help us chart our future course,” said Paul Epner, CEO of SIDM.

Dr. Salvador serves as the Chief Quality Officer of the Baystate Health System. He collaborates with colleagues throughout the system to promote a learning health system, develops strategies for quality and patient safety, and coordinates health care for the community. Using his training in medicine, engineering, and epidemiology, Dr. Salvador is focused on the redesign of healthcare delivery systems, diagnostic error, undergraduate and postgraduate education of quality and safety, and on fostering a culture of patient safety.

Ms. Gaffey is a nationally recognized leader in risk management, quality and patient safety. She has thirty-five years of experience in health care, most recently having served as the 2016 President of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). Ms. Gaffey’s risk management experience includes responsibility for managing self-insurance and captive insurance programs, insurance purchasing, claims management, and designing and implementing enterprise risk management programs.

“The SIDM Board of Directors continues to attract the top leaders in the field of diagnostic quality and safety,” said David Newman-Toker, MD, PhD, President of SIDM and Chair of the Board of Directors. “Ann and Doug join a group of leaders who share a commitment to reducing patient harm from diagnostic error and improving diagnostic quality. We are proud to have them join the SIDM Board.”

Salvador and Gaffey join current SIDM Board members:

  • David Newman-Toker, MD, PhD, President SIDM Board, Professor of Neurology, Ophthalmology, & Otolaryngology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He serves as Director of the Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence.
  • Robert Trowbridge, MD, SIDM President-Elect, Associate Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of Undergraduate Medical Curriculum at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.
  • Tim Mosher, MD, Secretary, Kenneth L. Miller Chair of Radiology and Distinguished Professor of Radiology and Orthopedic Surgery at Penn State University College of Medicine.
  • Edward Hoffer, MD, Treasurer, Associate Professor of Medicine, part-time, at Harvard Medical School and Senior Scientist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where he is Assistant Director of the Laboratory of Computer Science.
  • Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS).
  • Beth Daley Ullem, MBA, nationally recognized governance expert and advocate for safety and quality in health care.
  • Jen Campisano, JD, Attorney
  • Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.
  • Tom Lee, PhD, MBA, Entrepreneur
  • David Meyers, MD, FACEP, emergency physician and former Chair of Emergency Medicine at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore.
  • Dana Siegal, RN, CPHRM, CPPS, Director of Patient Safety for CRICO Strategies, a division of the Harvard Medical Institutions.
  • Ronald Wyatt, MD, MHA, Vice-President and Patient Safety Officer at MCIC Vermont
  • Paul Epner, MBA, MEd (Ex-officio), Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM).

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About the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM)
The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) catalyzes and leads change to improve diagnosis and eliminate harm from diagnostic error. We work in partnership with patients, their families, the healthcare community and every interested stakeholder. SIDM is the only organization focused solely on the problem of diagnostic error and improving the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosis. In 2015, SIDM established the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis, to increase awareness and actions that improve diagnosis. Members of the Coalition represent hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers and patients—and the leading health organizations and government agencies involved in patient care. Together, we work to find solutions that enhance diagnostic safety and quality, reduce harm, and ultimately, ensure better health outcomes for patients. Visit www.improvediagnosis.org to learn more. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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SIDM's Board of Directors is made up of expert clinicians, researchers, educators, and patient advocates, dedicated to improving diagnosis and reducing patient harm.