LEWISTON -Janet C. Smith, director of performance improvement for the Sisters of Charity Health System, has successfully completed the Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship Program, becoming the first to do so in Maine.

Smith became the 27th health care leader in the country to complete the course, a collaboration of the American Hospital Association, the National Patient Safety Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

The 15-month program provides opportunities for senior leaders to advance the process of creating cultures of safety in health care and promote breakthroughs in patient care.

The fellowship is in its sixth year and has graduated more than 125 fellows from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and European countries.