Recent Progress by Patient Activists: Headlines

About 50 patient activists and advocates convened at the IHI Forum for a Leadership Summit in Orlando in early December 2010. We drafted a mission of broadening our coalition to measurably and continually reduce medical errors. One month later, 42 of us participated in a reunion conference call. Here are some of the headlines of the recent progress mentioned in that call on January 8 by the participants. Bravo to these patient activists!


Kathleen Clark: I've been invited to join the Ethical Pathways Task Force at the regional medical center in my county, which will be composed of hospital and clinic leaders and community representatives, which will "study/converse/explore/learn together toward a goal of making recommendations for 'ethical pathways' (i.e. organizational structures, processes, and practices) that embed ethical consciousness and deliberation through the entire healthcare system."

Alicia Cole: This Tuesday I start my first class at UCLA, taking Health Law and Compliance! Also-I will be starting an Advocate Support Group to help those who would like some encouragement and assistance dealing with the issues/frustrations of being a Healthcare Warrior. The group will be confidential. If you are interested please email my your name, address and phone number.

Ken Farbstein: Through my work leading the Consumer Health Quality Council of Health Care for All, in December, the largest insurer in our state, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, informed their 900,000 beneficiaries via their e-newsletter that IF they are hospitalized and their condition deteriorates, they or a family member can call for a Rapid Response by specially trained hospital staff to intervene and rescue them promptly. More information can be found at Patient Safety Blog.

Dan Ford: Continuous reminders to and pushing providers regarding quality and patient safety through my work as a health care executive search consultant and currently as a board member of ISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practices).

Regina Holliday: I continue to work on public awareness about patient rights. Since our meeting of last month, I worked with TMIT to spread awareness of the importance of access of the medical record through a short video called "Remember the Hollidays". Voice of America put out a written piece and a video about our patient access story as well as my Patient Safety paintings. In January, I am putting together a social justice camp to introduce the health crowd to the social justice crowd in DC. I will be filming a segment with Families USA that should air before the President later this month.

Libby Hoy: January 1, 2011 marked the launch of Patient & Family Centered Care Partners. An organization of healthcare providers, administrators, patients and families who are committed to partnering to improve the quality, access and safety of healthcare. Get more information here.

Kevin Kavanagh, MD: Two Op-Eds have been published recently:

In the Lexington Herald Leader on hospital-acquired infections, and

In the Courier Journal on the High Rates of Insurance Increases.

Alan Levine: My "headline" would be the need to improve the performance of state medical boards in protecting the public from questionable/incompetent doctors.

Mary Ellen Mannix: Over a year and a half of work as the sole consumer representative panelist & writer on a clinical workgroup ended January 3, 2011. The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) published the first, national evidence based guideline on Tonsillectomy in Children co-authored by myself and a transdisciplinary team of clinicians.

Armando and Victoria Nahum: Safe Care Campaign has launched a new patient safety / advocacy site focusing on the prevention of medical errors called Patient Safety Partnership. If you would like to be listed as a resource within the site, please email Armando Nahum at anahum@safecarecampaign.org. with your area of focus so that we can highlight your organization to patients seeking your area of specialty.

Mary Ann Peugeot: I have presented a summary of the Conference to the Vanderbilt Patient & Family Council on Tuesday and expect to meet with the Chief Nursing Officer in early January. I am also working with Lisa Morisse on a possible seminar on Patient & Family Care.

Patty Skolnik, Citizens for Patient Safety… current project Patient Advocacy Training: "Finding Your Way Through A Safe Healthcare Journey;" Courses being given at hospitals and sponsored by hospitals. New updated medical journal with appendix from The Empowered Patient Coalition.

Trisha Torrey: My new book was published and might be of interest to those on the call: The Health Advocate's Marketing Handbook. I'll put a link from the Wiki – but if anyone wants info on it, they can find more here.

Jan Vick: SC Voices is actively involved in SC CARES and SC Mission:Lifeline initiatives. My website is here. The Ann S. Perdue Independent Autopsy Act is providing more transparency, by more autopsies being done in South Carolina.

Mary Weiss: Several bioethics professors at the University of Minnesota are pressing their Board of Regents for an independent investigation in the case of Dan Markingson with the goal of making clinical research safe for enrollees.

Bart Windrum:
- accepted an offer from Front Range Community College to teach a series of workshops on how to advocate and revisioning end of life on their main campus and at several adult communities (single family middle aged and elder continuum of care) they program for
- developing a hospital nurse survey, to launch Q1 11, intended to gain insight into the viewpoints and needs of hospital nurses with respect to patient-family proxy activities
- refined website and materials for greater emphasis on speaking
- elevated brain levels and writing output.