Ms. Gaffey is the President of Healthcare Risk and Safety Strategies. She is an industry-recognized career risk management and patient safety professional with over thirty-five years of experience in healthcare, having served as the 2016 President of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management. Ann provides innovative consultative services to healthcare organizations across the care continuum to develop, improve and enhance enterprise risk management and patient safety programs. She has a passion for leading organizational change, coaching and mentoring teams and individuals to lead effective and efficient enterprise-wide risk management programs.
Ms. Gaffey’s broad experience across all facets of the health care delivery system has included traditional risk assessment and mitigation activities, managing self-insurance and captive insurance programs, insurance purchasing, liability claims management, and general enterprise risk management program development.
Ann is a frequent national speaker on topics related to risk reduction and management strategies in healthcare, enterprise risk management, and leadership. Ann has authored articles in the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, co-authored in the Risk Management Handbook for Healthcare Organizations, 6th edition, Healthcare Risk Management Fundamentals, and other publications.
In addition to her work with ASHRM and affiliated state chapters, Ann’s involvement includes:
- 2019 Visiting Expert, Ministry of Health, Singapore
- Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM), Board Member (2020-2024)
- Coalition to Improve Diagnosis Advisory Task Force (2015-2020); Member, Advisory Council (2019-Present)
- National Perinatal Information Center, Board Member (2014-present), Chair (2019-2020)
- National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) (2008-present); Vice-Chairperson (2011-2015 and 2018-2021)
- Technical Expert, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Making Health Care Safer III Technical Expert Panel
- Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Committee on Best Practices for Selecting and Purchasing Complex Technology, Member (2017 – 2019)
Ms. Gaffey received her degree from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also received her Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management from George Washington University. Ann has achieved the CPHRM and DFASHRM designations and was awarded the ASHRM Distinguished Service Award in 2020. She currently serves as Faculty for ASHRM’s CPHRM Preparation Course and served 10 years as faculty for ASHRM’s Healthcare Risk Management Certificate Course and the Enterprise Risk Management Certificate Course. Ann previously served as adjunct faculty for the School of Nursing at The George Washington University.