restorARTively

A Living Memorial Garden for the Victims and Survivors of Medical Harm was created in Maine by Becky Martins. Becky is one of the newest members of the board of CAPS (Consumers Advancing Patient Safety) and a member of the Worldwide Patient Safety Day Committee. When I first met Becky in Washington DC in 2007 she spoke of this garden. I wasn' t sure at the time if the soft-spoken yet determined demeanor was why I appreciated the concept so much, or if it was just because I personally needed a place to go that I "belonged". People who know about preventable medical errors experience string feelings of distrust, stupidity, trauma, devalued, annoyance, anger, denial, sadness, jealousy, and an earnest desire to save others from a similar fate. And as many different ways there are to get to be a member of this distasteful "club", there are that many ways to address the effects of it. All along I have sought peace. I realize now it is a fleeting state. When I d...

Anger moves things. T his Opinion Editorial from today's Wall Street Journal really ticked me off. Taking advantage of his advanced education and the weight the general public will give it, this author is putting forth decades old myths about medical malpractice. I have spent the past seven years digging against the strength of a huge institution to find out what happened to my son and then gathering the personal strength to share what I have learned so others (including the providers) do not suffer needlessly. In Pennsylvania alone, which put in place its own tort reform in March 2002, there were approximately 350,000 reported sentinel events to the state's Patient Safety Authority for 2007. For the same time period there were only about 1300-1400 medical malpractice cases on the judicial dockets. That is one-half of one-percent. And, of those few cases that will go to jury trial , the vast majority will be found for the defense. I am proud to be an American. There are multitu...