Vail Valley Medical Center celebrates patient safety

VAIL, Colorado — In an effort to raise awareness and encourage the engagement of patients, families, health care providers and the community, Vail Valley Medical Center has announced its participation in the 2013 Patient Safety Awareness Week campaign, Patient Safety 7/365 and will offer a free luncheon event called “Josie’s Story – A Family-Centered Approach to Patient Safety.”

The event, which is part of the Friends of VVMC speaker series, will be held on April 3 from noon-2 p.m. at the Sonnenalp in Vail. Guest speaker Sorrel King authored “Josie’s Story: A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe” after losing her daughter as a result of a medical error in 2001. King was also chosen as one of “50 Women Changing the World” by Woman’s Day magazine.

Consumed by grief, King was determined to honor Josie’s memory. King has become a nationally renowned patient safety advocate and travels the country spreading her message to inspire change and create a better, safer healthcare industry.

Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual education and awareness campaign for health care safety led by the National Patient Safety Foundation. Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 3-9. This year’s theme, “Patient Safety 7/365,” highlights the need for everyone to understand the importance of focusing on patient safety all year round. The seven days of the campaign also serve as time to recognize the range of work being done to improve health care safety worldwide.

“’Patient Safety’ 7/365 reminds us that providing safe patient care requires a constant and valiant effort, 365 days a year. This week encourages a sustainable and conscientious collaboration between health care organizations, providers and consumers, regardless of their current state of health,” said Patricia A. McGaffigan, RN, MS, interim president, National Patient Safety Foundation.

For additional information on Patient Safety Awareness Week, visit www.npsf.org.

Vail Valley Medical Center is a nonprofit community hospital, serving the Vail Valley and its visitors since 1965.