Monday, April 21, 2025
SaferCare Texas at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth will host the inaugural 2025 Patient Safety Conference on May 6 and 7 featuring a nationally recognized aviation expert and bringing together health care professionals, educators and community stakeholders to explore strategies for improving patient safety.
The conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at UNTHSC’s Carl E. Everett Education and Administration Building. Admission is free for faculty, staff and students. Registration for the public is $25.
“This conference is an amazing opportunity for UNTHSC to share research, best practices and innovation, and publicly demonstrate our expertise and commitment to the science of reducing preventable patient harm,” SaferCare Texas Director Justin Burton said.
UNTHSC's SaferCare Texas keynote speaker Robert “Bob” Agostino
The conference will feature keynote speaker Robert “Bob” Agostino, an aviation expert with a distinguished 54-year career, including 51 consecutive years flying jet aircraft and more than 23,000 flight hours across 25 different aircraft. A holder of 13 type ratings and nine world speed records, Agostino has received numerous honors, including the Aviation Week Laureate Award and the Flight Safety Foundation’s Meritorious Service Award. With more than 40 years in corporate flight operations, he has led major safety initiatives and currently oversees Gulfstream G650 operations as president and aviation director for Group Holdings Aviation. Agostino will share how aviation safety principles can inform and elevate patient safety in health care.
Throughout the two-day event, attendees will engage in discussions about critical topics, including the impact of cognitive biases on performance, professionalism in patient care, language and its role in safety, physician empathy and suicidal ideation, and the integration of artificial intelligence in modern healthcare. Speakers will also address safety education for vulnerable populations, strategies for fostering a culture of safety and innovations in infection control.
The conference is open to the public, with a focus on medical students, researchers, safety and quality improvement professionals, and patient safety advocates. Area residents are encouraged to attend to learn more about promoting well-being and advocating for vulnerable populations.
There will be networking opportunities on May 6. The American Cancer Society is also sponsoring raffle prizes for attendees.
Registration is open at SaferCareTexas.org/2025-patient-safety-conference and will close May 5.
From HSC Newsroom - Community by Nicole Luna