Reward Safety

More than a decade has passed since the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report, To Err is Human, estimated that 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors.  With hundreds of thousands of patients being harmed while seeking treatment, much work remains to be done.  In the Medicare program alone, preventable adverse events have been estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Infections acquired during healthcare treatments are among the leading causes of preventable complications. Many times, these infections could be avoided through simple strategies such as proper handwashing or posting safety checklists.

Keeping patients out of harm’s way will not only save lives and prevent injuries, it will save billions of dollars.