SEATTLE, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizens for Better Safer Healthcare expresses our sincerest condolences to the family of Mary McClinton following her tragic death yesterday.
We also applaud Dr. Robert Caplan and Virginia Mason Medical Center for taking responsibility for the preventable medical error that took Mrs. McClinton’s life, for apologizing to the family, and for taking corrective action to ensure such an error doesn’t happen again.
Right now these courageous actions are the exception rather than the rule. For years, hospitals have nurtured a culture of secrecy around medical errors. Evidence is growing, however, that dealing openly with mistakes will have a more positive effect than trying to cover up the problems. At the University of Michigan Health System, such openness has cut the number of malpractice lawsuits in half since 2002.
Initiative 336 -- the Better Safer Healthcare Initiative -- will make this level of openness and accountability the standard for healthcare providers across our state. The initiative will deliver real solutions for better safer healthcare by holding healthcare providers, medical malpractice insurers and lawyers responsible for their actions.
I urge all Washington residents, and especially our legislators during the upcoming legislative session, to support I-336 so that families like the McClintons don’t have to suffer such needless, preventable tragedy.
More information on I-336 can be found at http://www.bettersafercare.org/. CONTACTS: Shelly F. Cohen Sam Butler Firmani & Associates Firmani & Associates 206-443-9357, ext. 240 206-443-9357, ext. 230 cell: 206-390-8235 sam@firmani.comshelly@firmani.com
Citizens for Better Safer Healthcare
CONTACT: Shelly F. Cohen, +1-206-443-9357, ext. 240 or cell,+1-206-390-8235, or shelly@firmani.com, or Sam Butler, +1-206-443-9357,ext. 230, or sam@firmani.com, both of Firmani & Associates, for Citizens forBetter Safer Healthcare