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...

This week eight years ago, Dylan's mom had an ultrasound and the doctor commented "There's almost enough fluid for me to be concerned." With that he sent her home. She was scheduled for an induction in a matter of days, anyway. The fluid remained in her womb with her full term baby boy. But before the scheduled induction, Dylan's mom experienced a an unnerving and shocking sudden pain from within her belly. It made her feel like her insides were going to fall out. She was forced to crawl on her knees for the pain was unbearable. She was also quickly losing strength. She called the doctor and was told, "If you aren't in labor, we'll have to send you home." She and her husband raced to the hospital immediately and no one was waiting for their arrival. It seemed to the doctor(s) that there was no emergency. She made it to the hospital. Then waited. And waited. And waited. Dylan's mom had insurance. Yet, she still waited an interminably long few ...

Contacts:Mary Ellen Mannix , Founder, PULSE of PA 610-299-0478 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - JULY 15, 2009 LUCIAN LEAPE , M.D. RECEIVES 1st NIGHTINGALE & CODMAN PATIENT SAFETY DAY AWARD PULSE of PA is proud to collaborate with national patient safety advocates who have bestowed the Inaugural Florence Nightingale and Dr. E. Codman Patient Safety Day Award to LUCIAN LEAPE M.D., Adjunct Professor of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, pediatric surgeon, and health care safety pioneer. July 25, 2009 is the 9 th annual Patient Safety Day and the 10 th anniversary of the Institute of Medicine’s groundbreaking patient safety in America report to Congress. Florence Nightingale was one of the first epidemiologists, statisticians, evidence-based practitioners and patient safety pioneers in nursing and health care . Dr. Codman followed suit with a stellar surgical career based on hospital evidence-based “end results” theory and practice.Nightingale and Codman represented the ...