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Priyanka Amin, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Patient Safety), and Joseph (Joe) Zimmerman, MSN (Director of Quality and Patient Safety), are partners in innovating and evolving a culture of safety throughout UPMC Western Behavioral Health (WBH). Their collaboration over the past two years has resulted in a transformational win: Results of a 2025 survey indicated that safety scores have improved across the board, and most exceed the UPMC average. Below, Priyanka and Joe reflect on WBH’s outstanding culture of safety.

Why is a culture of safety important to you?

Priyanka Amin: I want patients to receive thoughtful care and our staff to be free to focus on providing the highest quality care in an environment that is as free of safety concerns as possible. A healthy culture of safety is crucial in ensuring that issues impacting patient and staff safety are disclosed and promptly addressed.

Joe Zimmerman: A strong culture of safety is fundamental to our mission. A patient seeking our care trusts that we will do everything possible to protect their well-being and help them heal. Likewise, our staff should be able to come to work confident that their safety is a priority. Fostering a robust culture of safety means we are actively working to prevent harm, encouraging open communication, and committing to continuous improvement. This strengthens trust and accountability, and ensures the highest safety standards.

What is your role in contributing to a culture of safety at UPMC Western Behavioral Health?

Priyanka Amin: I work closely with Joe to review adverse events—for example, patient injuries and elopements. We use safety science-based interventions to identify and address process-related issues to reduce the risk of reoccurrence. 

Joe Zimmerman: In addition, we ensure that both patients and providers are able to report errors or “near misses” without risk of retaliation.
Priyanka Amin: We recognize and acknowledge staff who speak up about safety concerns, and work to create a culture in which staff feel safe to transparently report adverse events.

A recent Culture of Safety survey demonstrated a notable increase in multiple measures. What did you learn?

Joe Zimmerman: One of the most significant takeaways from the recent Culture of Safety survey is the clear, positive momentum—demonstrated by the remarkably increased participation rate—in staff engagement with safety issues. Notably, we saw improvements in staff reporting that they feel more empowered to speak up about safety, including about concerns like workplace violence. They also highlighted strengths such as leadership's responsiveness to safety concerns. These improvements are likely due to both leadership emphasis on the importance of safety and initiatives like the Good Catch program. 

Priyanka Amin: Our Culture of Safety survey showed an increase in all metrics. We were excited to see increased participation and an improvement in metrics since the last survey in 2023. We also identified opportunities for improvement, such as further empowering teams to address safety issues as they arise and improving communication between teams.

What are some activities you’ve engaged in to help UPMC Western Behavioral Health’s culture of safety shift favorably over the last two years?

Priyanka Amin: We have expanded transparency surrounding adverse events and actions taken to prevent their recurrence. Some of the ways we have worked on this are through patient safety leadership rounding on inpatient units and the development of a monthly meeting at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital to review and discuss events. The quarterly Good Catch Ceremony recognizes staff for identifying and addressing safety concerns before they impact patient care. Some examples of recent good catches include finding and removing contraband that our current processes may not detect, early recognition of changes in patients’ medical conditions, and proactive recognition and problem-solving surrounding unexpected supply chain shortages that would adversely impact patient care.

Joe Zimmerman: One key activity has been encouraging open dialogue with staff directly involved in adverse events or near misses, ensuring their voices are heard and valued throughout our review processes. We focus on understanding system failures rather than placing blame on individuals, and we use systematic reviews—such as root cause analyses—to identify and address underlying issues.

By involving frontline staff in safety discussions and providing recognition for their efforts, we are building trust, promoting transparency, and fostering a shared commitment to continuous improvement.

"One of my favorite initiatives-and one well-attended by our medical staff and unit leadership—is their monthly Patient Safety and Quality Review,” said James Tew, MD (Vice President Medical Affairs, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and Associate Professor of Psychiatry). “Joe and Dr. Amin summarize important safety metrics, medical errors, near misses, and early identification of deviation from best practices. They also help us celebrate wins and ‘good catches.’ Just as important, they facilitate a discussion where our staff identify meaningful action items for improvement, and follow-up with these items each month. Their passion (and compassion) is obvious. They are leaders in culture change."