Margaret Robins Garrett awarded College of Nursing Medallion
Meg Robins Garrett (right) received her Medallion from Dean Fitzpatrick on April 2.
On April 2, Margaret Robins Garrett ’72 BSN, JD, received from M. Louise Fitzpatrick, EdD, RN, FAAN, Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor, the College of Nursing’s Medallion – its highest award - for Distinguished Contributions to Quality and Safety in Health Care. She is senior counsel; practice group leader; and senior director of risk management, patient care, regulatory and ethics in the Legal Department of the Johns Hopkins Health System and a former member of the College’s Board of Consultors. In accepting her award, she acknowledged the faculty guidance and tools she received throughout her education that helped her accomplish her goals.
Her citation is below:
After her 1972 graduation from Villanova University’s College of Nursing, Meg Garrett served as a United States Navy Nurse during the Vietnam War. She later earned her master’s degree in education from The Citadel and her law degree from the University of Maryland. She joined The John Hopkins Health System Corporation in 1986.
Meg has said that the values and dedication to patient safety instilled in her while attending Villanova helped shape her career into what it is today. Currently she serves as the Senior Counsel/Practice Group Leader/Senior Director of Risk Management, Patient Care, Regulatory and Ethics in the Legal Department of the Johns Hopkins Health System. Her responsibilities include designing, implementing and overseeing all aspects of risk management across six major U.S. hospitals owned by the Hopkins system, as well as eight international hospitals, the Johns Hopkins homecare division, Community Physicians, long-term care facilities and numerous clinics.
Meg is a critical member of many John Hopkins Boards, in her role as a patient safety, ethics and risk management expert. As the senior legal counsel for patient care and regulatory issues she advises administrative leaders and nursing and medical staff on risk concerns, complex patient care matters, and legal and regulatory matters. Her comprehensive knowledge of standards has made her a primary consultant on accreditation and risk reduction through the Hopkins system.
Meg is a valued member of the Hopkins executive leadership team. She supervises the attorney on-call program and mentors junior attorneys and risk managers. She provides educational service to The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as well as the School of Nursing and serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland’s School of Law where she has mentored over 200 law students over the past thirty years. She is a founding member of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys. She is a national and international speaker on risk management, nursing, patient safety and healthcare law issues.
Despite all of Meg’s professional responsibilities, she has a quick wit and sense of humor. She is also the mother of a recent VSB graduate. As a member of our College’s Board of Consultors, Meg served in an advisory capacity to the Dean of the College of Nursing and provided an external perspective on matters that affect the nursing profession. As a proud Villanova nurse she was happy for the opportunity to help continue the tradition of preparing quality Villanova nurses who understand the nursing needs of the patient population.
For her exemplary leadership and dedication high quality patient care with a continuous dedication to nursing and Villanova’s mission and values which are demonstrated in her work, it is with great pleasure the College of Nursing awards its 2016 Medallion for Distinguished Contributions to Quality and Safety in Health Care to Margaret Robins Garrett, College of Nursing Class of 1972.