Nemours Children’s Health uses ‘Speak-up Culture’ to advance safety

Nemours Children’s Health developed free materials to educate patients and their families about specific questions to ask their health care professionals and actions to take to improve safety for their child. The Jackson, Fla.-based health system’s “Speak Up at Nemours” trains and supports staff to communicate with patients and their families in ways to encourage speaking up to increase awareness of potential safety issues and events. The health system suggests each clinical area develop a list of the most commonly asked questions to help patients and families express themselves. In addition, Nemours prepares staff through role-playing on responding to patient questions in ways that promote trust and overcome language, cultural, knowledge or literacy or age-related barriers. (Joint Commission blog article, 6/16/25)