The Emergency Care Research Institute has acquired The Just Culture Co., which helps organizations foster a just culture, ECRI said Dec. 2.
Through partnerships with health departments, payers and healthcare providers, The Just Culture Co. has provided advisory services, educational programs and coaching on developing just culture practices.
A just culture in healthcare fosters shared accountability, acknowledging that most mistakes result from structural issues while still holding individuals accountable for reckless or intentionally harmful behavior. Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health is among the health systems committed to implementing this culture.
"The significance of just culture in the healthcare workforce was highlighted in the CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure taking effect in 2025," ECRI said in a news release. "The measure requires hospitals to demonstrate they have established a culture and structure that prioritizes patient safety, specifically referencing just culture in the domain about strategic planning and organizational policy."