Dynamic Pulse CPSEA Symposium Kicks off TakeCHARGE Campaign for 2022

Guest Blog: This Press Release was written and submitted by David Halperin, Director of Communication at Pulse CPSEA.

In a unique symposium presented by Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy on March 18th-19th, a remarkable roster of speakers addressed and interacted with scores of participants interested in improving the safety of medical care. (Medical error is one of the leading causes of death in the US.)

The all-virtual event coincided with Patient Safety Awareness Week, and launched the third year of the TakeCHARGE Campaign, a social media-based public awareness program started by Pulse in 2020, that encourages everyone to take five basic steps over five months that will help them and their families avoid injury or death from medical treatment.

“This is unlike other conferences I’ve been to,” was a remark often expressed by participants. Attendees mentioned the pragmatic content of speakers’ talks and panels, while presenters were impressed by the passion and commitment of their audiences — often patient advocates and patient safety educators — who were encouraged to ask questions and interact.

Each session related to one of the TakeCHARGE: 5 Steps

1. Complete advance directives

2. Keep a medical history and medications list

3. Prepare for doctor visits with notes, symptoms and written questions

4. Reduce infections by encouraging hand-washing

5. Use a patient advocate and be an advocate for others

Entering its third year, the TakeCHARGE Campaign was used by The Joint Commission and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to educate their staff. About a dozen leading advocacy groups from around the country also participated in the 2021 Campaign. Sponsors of the symposium included Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Greater National Advocates, Hofstra University and others.

Personal Stories:

Part of what made the event unique was that the speakers weren’t presenting dry data, they larded their talks with actual stories of real patients. In other cases, it was the survivors of medical injury themselves who told their harrowing personal tales. Said one participant, “These personal stories let us all see how patient safety works — or fails — in the real world.”

Among other topics, the symposium included:

• Medication safety — cautionary tales from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

• Living with infection — a survivor’s story of multiple post-surgical infections.

• Rapid Response Systems — the history of those crash carts we see in TV hospital dramas, told by one of the technique’s pioneers.

• Talking with Your Doctor About COVID

• Advance directives — being prepared if you can’t express your wishes.

• Panel discussions involving advocates, attorneys and other stakeholders in patient safety.

Pulse president and Ilene Corina says, “We are grateful for our sponsors and the wonderful planning team of community members who are passionate about this cause of reducing medical injury. We start publicizing Step 1 of this year's TakeCHARGE Campaign — ‘Complete your advance directives’ — early next month."

An attendee, Susan Capurso of East End Doula Care on Long Island, comments: “This was a complete, detailed and focused event about topics that are so important to everyone. The speakers were professional, intelligent and informative in every way.”

Sofie Schwartz, with symposium sponsor GNANOW.ORG, adds, «The TakeCHARGE: 5 Steps to Safer Health Care Symposium was a complete success! It allowed for the growing community of patient advocates to share experiences and knowledge. The Advocate Panel Discussion on Friday was specifically successful in these missions. The panel demonstrated the beauty of independent patient advocacy while also demonstrating how collaborative their work really is.»

For more information, please visit:

Web: takecharge.care and www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org.

Contact: Ilene Corina. 516-579-4711. icorina@pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org

David Halperin: mediaworkshop@runbox.com

David Halperin

Pulse CPSEA

+1 516-801-6333