'Reducing the Risks: Patient Safety in the Hospital'

CHICAGO, March 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Being hospitalized for acute care presents health risks beyond the medical treatment at hand. Medication errors, patient identification errors, falls and infections are just some of the risks that can be prevented through a closer partnership of patients, their families and medical providers. With patient safety in mind, SAVE THE PATIENT is hosting another community show to raise Chicagoans' awareness of potential medical and medication errors that can occur during a hospital stay, and tools to prevent them.

On Monday, March 22 at 6:00 pm, Chicago Access Network (CAN-TV), Channel 21, will air a live call-in program, "Community Health," focusing on the proactive role individuals can take to prevent medical errors from occurring during hospitalization.

Host Lenore Janecek, president and founder of SAVE THE PATIENT, and Cynthia Barnard, MBA, MSJS, CPHQ, director of Quality Strategies at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, will discuss how patients can partner with their caregivers -- before entering the hospital, during their stay and release -- to prevent health risks and errors. Ms. Barnard will highlight some of the tools patients and their advocates can prepare ahead of admission to avoid possible complications.

In addition to tools, the program will provide educational resources, ranging from websites to hospital quality reviews, to assist viewers in becoming more knowledgeable about health care risks. Viewers, who wish to join in discussions, can call-in to pose their questions.

Lenore Janecek is a nationally known health care expert, patient advocate and author, who founded SAVE THE PATIENT, a not-for-profit patient advocacy organization, in 2001. To access its website, go to: www.savethepatient.org.

In addition to being a Director at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Ms. Barnard is Research Assistant Professor in the Institute for Healthcare Studies at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and co-director of an advanced course in quality improvement in the Master's Program in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety. She is the author of several books, including: "Benchmarking Basics: A Resource Guide for Healthcare Managers;" "Performance Improvement Basics: A Resource Guide for Healthcare Managers;" and, co-author of "Performance Improvement: Winning Strategies for Quality and Joint Commission Compliance."

For additional information call: CAN-TV at 312-738-1400, email: [email protected].

Check local cable television listings for scheduled air times.

SAVE THE PATIENT^SM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support and education of individuals on health care matters. Founded in 2001 to fulfill the need for a non-biased, non-commercial community based not-for-profit organization to educate, inform and empower patients as they attempt to make sound health care decisions, SAVE THE PATIENT provides information and education through patient advocacy, community outreach educational seminars and its signature tool: the Health Caring Card.

SOURCE SAVE THE PATIENT