BECOME A CERTIFIED MEDICAL HARM COMMUNICATOR
When harm happens, communication matters.
Practical communication-after-harm training for clinicians, leaders, and staff. Prepare your team for disclosure,
apology, and the conversations that follow as part of your organization’s Communication and Resolution Program.
12+
Years of direct
harm-response
experience
4 hr
Self-paced, online training.
Low barriers for
busy clinical staff
4 CME
Accredited upon completion — documented competency for your system.
50 states
Credit available for
eligible professionals
Built for every healthcare professional
For Clinicians
Build confidence in the hardest conversations — from disclosure
to follow-up.
CMHC Certification
For Risk & Compliance Teams
Train your team to meet regulatory requirements with compassion
& clarity.
Group Pricing
For Patient Safety Leaders
Equip teams with the disclosure skills required by CMS Patient Safety Structural Measures
Difficult Conversations
NEW COURSE — LAUNCHING NOW
Difficult Conversations: Requirements
& Preparation for Disclosure After Harm
A 1-hour online course on disclosure after harm, developed in partnership with the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety — built for every healthcare professional who may face the hardest conversation in medicine.
Regulatory & ethical requirements for disclosure, including CMS Patient Safety Structural Measures
How to prepare before a disclosure conversation
Communication strategies grounded in transparency and patient-centered values
Responding to the hardest questions patients and families ask
Our Courses
CMHC Certification
Certified Medical Harm Communicator
Four 1-hour training covering disclosure, apology, ongoing communication, discussions about compensation, and explaining what was learned after harm.
4 hours | $279 per learner | 4.0 CME credits available
Difficult Conversations:
Requirements & Preparation for Disclosure After Harm
One-hour training on disclosure requirements, preparation,
and responding to difficult questions.
Developed with the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety.
1 hour | $149 per learner | 1.0 CME credit available
Leilani Schweitzer
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
After losing her son Gabriel due to medical errors, Leilani has dedicated her career to improving harm response in healthcare. As Assistant Vice President for Communication & Resolution at Stanford Healthcare, she pioneered programs for over a decade that transformed how institutions engage with harmed patients and families.
Her story, and her work have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TEDx, and more. Leilani continues her work to shape healthcare policy, advising global organizations on transparency, disclosure, and patient safety.
Transform healthcare communication
— one conversation at a time.
Drawing on years of experience with harmed patients, families, and healthcare professionals—and grounded in extensive published research—this curriculum provides essential training for health care professionals. The Certified Medical Harm Communicator training equips nurses, physicians, risk managers, and support staff with the skills to:
Communicate Clearly and Effectively
Gain the confidence to know what to say (and what to avoid) when speaking with patients and families after a harm event.
Stay Calm Under Pressure
Develop strategies to de-escalate tense situations, show genuine concern, and maintain emotional resilience.
Build Trust & Minimize Risk
Use clear, empathetic communication to prevent misunderstandings and reduce legal exposure.
Champion Transparency & Patient Safety
Foster a culture of honesty, accountability, and trust within your health care team.
Gain practical skills you can apply immediately
—because more compassionate conversations create better outcomes- for patients, their families, and practitioners.
Real Experience, Real Impact
“Many harmed by their healthcare understandably feel betrayed; Leilani Schweitzer instead chose to leverage her experience to improve clinical medicine. To help the medical community see and feel what patients harmed by their care see and feel. She has years of risk management experience, teaching others the value of, and keys to compassionate and honest communication following adverse events. Leilani has an uncommon grasp of human nature coupled with a deep respect for healthcare professionals’ dedication to their patients and shares her insights with authenticity, sincerity and clarity.
The value she offers is unparalleled in the arena of communication following unintended clinical outcomes.”
— Richard Boothman, JD
Former Chief Risk Officer
University of Michigan Health
“Leilani takes the intention of disclosure and accountability and puts them into action. She understands the risks and benefits transparency presents to a health care system, as well as, its necessity to patients and their loved ones. I have seen Leilani present the merits of Communication and Resolution Programs to C-Suite executives and explain the gritty details of implementation to risk managers, patient experience professionals and attorneys. She draws on her years of experience to demonstrate actionable steps to meet the needs of patients, their families, clinicians and administrators after adverse medical events.”
— Edward Hall, Senior Executive Administrator, Integrated Risk at
Keck Medicine of USC
“My perspective on communication in the healthcare space has been fundamentally shaped by my work Leilani Schweitzer. Before working with her, I was skeptical apologies and explanations could meet the needs of everyone involved in adverse medical events. Now I know accountability and compassionate responses are vital for improving patient safety. Her passion for greater disclosure and transparency changed the purpose and direction of my life.”
— Cheryl De Kleine Callaghan, Esq.
Vice President Clinical Risk Management, Claims & Litigation
Ascension
Confidence in Communication:
A Post-Harm Engagement Guide
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST
Download our practical, step-by-step guide to help healthcare professionals navigate difficult conversations with empathy, clarity, and confidence. This free checklist, offers essential actions and reminders to support meaningful, compassionate engagement following an adverse event.
