COLUMBIA- Laura Lee, BSN, assistant vice president of Patient Safety at MedStar Health, received the first Lifetime Achievement in Patient Safety Award from the Mid-Atlantic Patient Safety Center.
The award recognizes sustained and exceptional contributions to patient safety at organizational, regional or national levels. Lee earned the honor for nearly four decades of leadership that built safer, more just, transparent and responsive systems for patients and health care teams.
Rollin J. Terry Fairbanks, MD, senior vice president and chief quality and safety officer at MedStar Health and chair of the MPSC Board of Directors, praised her impact. Laura’s career has left an enduring mark on patient safety, on the people she has mentored, caregivers, and most importantly on the countless patients who are safer because of her work.
Stephanie Peditto, president and CEO of the MPSC, highlighted Lee’s dedication. Laura’s work exemplifies the very essence of this award — an unwavering commitment to safer care, stronger systems, and better outcomes for patients. The award celebrates a career defined not only by longevity but by lasting impact on how patient safety is understood and practiced.
Lee began her career as a clinical nurse at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She then spent four decades at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, where she helped establish modern patient safety practices in one of the world’s largest and most complex research hospitals. There she transformed safety from a regulatory requirement into an embedded organizational value through daily huddles, executive rounds and systems focused on learning, transparency and accountability.
For the past five years Lee has led patient safety efforts across the MedStar Health system. She advanced innovative programs and influenced national practices. Her work emphasizes high reliability principles, psychologically safe cultures and proactive hazard prevention.
MedStar Health operates multiple facilities across the region, including MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center in Clinton and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown. These Southern Maryland sites serve residents of St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties, providing emergency care, surgical services, cancer treatment and community health programs. Patient safety initiatives led by leaders like Lee directly support local families by reducing preventable harm, improving infection control and enhancing communication between caregivers and patients.
The Mid-Atlantic Patient Safety Center, an independent nonprofit, works to advance safety science, system-wide learning and organizational improvements. It supports patients, families and the health care workforce across the region through shared expertise and evidence-based practices.
Lee’s recognition comes as health systems in Southern Maryland and beyond face ongoing challenges in maintaining high-quality care amid workforce demands and evolving medical complexities. Her career trajectory from bedside nursing to system leadership illustrates the importance of experienced professionals in shaping safer environments. At facilities like MedStar Southern Maryland, such efforts translate into measurable gains in areas such as reduced hospital-acquired infections and stronger patient-family engagement through advisory councils.
Fairbanks noted Lee’s role in elevating MedStar’s safety culture. As the system leader of Patient Safety at MedStar Health for the past five years, she has moved our innovative safety program to the next level and influenced other systems in her national work.
This award underscores the value of long-term commitment to patient safety in Maryland’s health care landscape. Southern Maryland residents benefit from MedStar’s regional presence, where safety protocols developed under leaders like Lee help ensure reliable care close to home. The honor also highlights collaborative progress between organizations such as MedStar and the MPSC to address systemic issues and promote continuous improvement.
Health care experts view lifetime achievement awards as opportunities to set benchmarks for emerging leaders. Lee’s focus on mentoring, just culture and responsive systems provides a model for hospitals serving rural and suburban communities in Southern Maryland, where access to specialized care remains a priority.
The presentation of the award celebrates contributions that extend beyond any single institution. Lee’s influence at the NIH Clinical Center and now at MedStar Health demonstrates how individual dedication can strengthen entire networks of care. For families in St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties, this means greater confidence when seeking treatment at local MedStar facilities.
