The Safe Patient Project is a Consumers Union campaign focused on eliminating medical harm, improving FDA oversight of prescription drugs and promoting disclosure laws that give information to consumers about health care safety and quality.
Dr. Hallisy is committed to and passionate about the subjects of patient safety, health care reform and medical error reduction. Her personal and professional goals include working diligently to help give patients a voice in healthcare solutions.
California
State Disclosure Reports
Consumers Union Documents
- Testimony of Elizabeth M. Imholz, Consumers Union Special Projects Director before CA Senate Health Committee
Stopping the occurrence of medical harm
- Testimony of advocate Carole Moss before CA Senate Health Committee
Testimony of Carole Moss to the Oversight Hearing on October 20, 2010 to California Department of Public Health concerning Implementation of Hospital Patient Safety Legislation.
- CU testifies at Senate hearing about California’s lax enforcement of patient safety laws
Testimony of Elizabeth M. Imholz, Special Projects Director; Consumers Union before California Senate Health Committee; October 20, 2010
- Spreading Germs: Low Rates of Flu Vaccination Among California Healthcare Workers Put Patients at Risk (PDF)
Consumers Union Report shows California Department of Public Health is falling behind on collecting and publishing dangerously low vaccination rates to the public.
- Medical Board Notice to Consumers Regulation
The Medical Board regulation requiring physicians to have a notice for patients with the Medical Board contact information has been approved. It goes into effect on June 27th. Medical Board of California (April 2010)
- Preventable Harm: California Fails to Follow Through With Patient Safety Laws
- CU Letter to CA Department of Health Care Services (pdf)
CU sent a letter to Kathleen Billingsley at the Department of Health Care Services following our meeting on December 16 regarding state implementation of the hospital-acquired infection and adverse event reporting laws. Consumers Union (December 28, 2009)
- CU Public Records Act Request to California Department of Public Health (pdf)
CU filed a Public Records request for documents related to adverse events and hospital acquired infections made available to the public through legislation passed since 2006. Consumers Union (February 16, 2010)
- CU Comments to California Board of Pharmacy in Support of Labels Large Enough to Read (pdf)
March 9, 2010 (Consumers Union)
- CU Comments to Board of Podiatric Medicine Regarding Notice to Consumers (pdf)
Consumers Union writes in support of the Board of Podiatric Medicine’s (BPM) adoption of proposed section 1399.730, Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations. This proposal requires doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs) to notify their patients that they are licensed by the State of California, and provides the Board’s
Consumers Union News Releases
- California Releases New Report on Hospital Infection Rates
SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued its annual report today detailing patient infection rates at hospitals across the state. The report publishes the rates for a wide variety of infections at California hospitals and helps to establish California as a leader among states for disclosing such patient safety data, according to Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project.
- Patient Safety Activists To Rally Outside San Francisco Court House
California Hospital Association’s Suit Seeks to Undermine Effort to Make Surgical Infection Data Available to the Public.
- CDC: 58% drop in central line infections in ICUs
Report Shows Infections Are Preventable But More Effort Is Needed To Protect Patients.
- California Issues Reports on Hospital-Acquired Infections
The reports provide a first glimpse at Hospital Infection Rates. Consumers Union press release recommending the state work harder to ensure the data is accurate and provided in a format consumers can easily view and understand.
- California’s Enforcement of Patient Safety Laws Still Lagging
The California Department of Public Health has been slow to implement a number of key provisions of medical error public reporting.
- Report Finds That Only Half of California Hospital Workers Got Flu Vaccine
Report Finds That Only Half of California Hospital Workers Got Flu Vaccine
- Public Reporting of Hospital Infection Rates Will Save Lives & Dollars
Patient Safety Groups Support Efforts Under Health Care Reform to Disclose Infection Rates and Tie Payments to Performance
- Consumers Union Finds Slow Progress on Patient Safety in California
California Department of Public Health Has Failed to Carry Out Key Requirements of Recent Patient Safety Laws
- Reporting infections improves patient safety
New Pennsylvania study shows 8 percent drop in hospital acquired infections between 2006 and 2007.
Blog Posts
- California Releases New Report on Hospital Infection Rates
A report by the California Department of Public Health, makes California a national leader on public reporting of infections.
- Consumer voices to be heard at national hospital infection meeting
Meet the eleven consumer advocates who will be attending a U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)hospital infection meeting this week.
- Consumers win on reporting surgical infection rates in CA
Last week, California hospitals lost their bid to avoid reporting their infection rates to the public. A California judge upheld a 2008 state law – one of the strongest in the nation – that calls on hospitals to report infections occurring from a broad array of surgeries.
- Beware of Scary Superbugs in Your Hospital
It only takes three things for a hospital superbug to infect a patient. Should you be concerned?
- If you’re in the San Diego area tomorrow, meet us at the Empowered Patient training
On Saturday, October 9, the Empowered Patient Coalition along with Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project and AARP California will be holding a special training in San Diego for patients and caregivers on how to stay safe in the hospital.
- A Shot In The Dark: Not Enough California Healthcare Workers are Getting Flu Shots
It’s the start of flu season and you might be worried about the spread of germs. We’re worried too. Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project released a report today that found nearly half of all hospital workers in California didn’t get flu shots during the 2008-2009 flu season.
- Victory for patients! Public reporting of certain infections will go nationwide
Soon it will be easier for you to find out how well your hospital prevents certain infections. As part of the new health care reform law, the Department of Health and Human Services will require hospitals to publicly disclose several types of dangerous hospital infections.
- Let’s talk about labels
A bill in California (SB 1390) would create a minimum of 12-point font for the most crucial information on medication labels and would require translation of medication label information into commonly used non-English languages.
- California Moving Too Slow On Patient Safety Progress
Since 2006, California lawmakers have passed laws to improve patient safety, yet the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has been moving at turtle speed to enforce these laws.
- California Pharmacy Board Should Support Safer Medication Labels
Guest blog post written by Syed Sayeed, Policy Analyst at Consumers Union’s West Coast Office. CU is calling on California residents to submit comments to the Pharmacy Board by March 10th, in support of requiring all pharmacies to print important label information in at least a 12-point font size.
News Articles
- Yes, Real-Time Monitoring Would Have Saved Leah Source: Pittsburgh Healthcare Report (Thursday February 2, 2012)
Article by Lenore Alexander, active member of Mothers Against Medical Errors, about her 11-year-old daughter Leah’s tragic death from hospital errors, including lack of monitoring. Since Leah’s death nearly 10 years ago, her mother has continued to ask many questions and learn why this happened to her daughter so that other lives can be saved.
- Plaintiffs allege 'gruesome conditions' at Lap-Band clinics Source: Los Angeles Times (Tuesday January 17, 2012)
At least five patients have died since 2009 after Lap-Band procedures at clinics in Beverly Hills and West Hills that are affiliated with the 1-800-GET-THIN marketing campaign, according to autopsy reports, lawsuits and other public records.
- Calif. hospital infection rates look low, but may be incomplete Source: UT San Diego (Wednesday January 18, 2012)
California’s recent public reports on central-line associated hospital infections reflect rates nearly 50 percent lower than the national average, but the latest reports might reveal only half or more of infections cropping up in California. That is why validation of data is essential to getting accurate information out to the public, said Lisa McGiffert, director of Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project.
- In Santa Cruz County, hospital infection rates vary Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (Saturday January 7, 2012)
The California Department of Health released its second year of data on hospital acquired infections. CU praised state regulators for posting a broad range of infection data and a consumer friendly surgical infection interactive map that will include more data over time.
- Public Health Department Fines 14 Hospitals for Patient Safety Errors Source: California Healthline (Friday December 9, 2011)
The California Department of Public Health announced it was imposing $850,000 in fines on 14 hospitals for medical errors that caused or were likely to cause serious patient injury or death.
- Immediate Jeopardy: 14 CA Hospitals Fined $850,000 Source: HealthLeaders Media (Monday December 12, 2011)
Another 14 California hospitals have been ordered to pay fines totaling $850,000 in the latest round of medical errors involving immediate jeopardy to patients, state health officials said last week.
- Calif. Hospital Report Cards Likely To Go Away Source: Kaiser Health News (Monday December 5, 2011)
Cal Hospital Compare, which gives the public quality scorecards of CA hospitals, may not continue because the California Hospital Association is backing out of the project.
- 4-Year-Old Dies During Dental Surgery Source: KCRA (Tuesday November 15, 2011)
4-year-old dies during dental surgery and his family is searching for answers to find out what led to his death.
- Stanford Adverse Event Initiative Saves $3.2M in Annual Liability Costs Source: California Healthline (Tuesday November 1, 2011)
Stanford University’s clinics and hospitals have reduced annual liability premiums by $3.2 million since it implemented a program to disclose and investigate adverse event reports, according to a report published by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, American Medical News reports.
- Harbor-UCLA Medical Center cited for safety violations Source: Los Angeles Times (Saturday October 29, 2011)
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center has failed to keep its operating rooms clean and safe and to protect its patients from possible infection, according to federal inspection reports recently released to The Times.
Research and Reports
- Influenza Vaccination Among Health Care Personnel In California General Acute Care Hospitals For The 2010-11 Respiratory Season
California Department of Public Health: 60.4% of California healthcare workers got vaccinated during the 2010-2011 flu season.
- Consumers' Priorities for Hospital Quality Improvement and Implications for Public Reporting
Report by the Center for Healthcare Decisions describes consumer perceptions of health care quality and provides new insights for those involved in public reporting.
- California HealthCare Foundation: Hospital-Acquired Infections
California HealthCare Foundation articles on hospital-acquired infections.
- CA Medical Board: Board and Committee Meetings
Link to find out about the CA medical board meetings, agendas, and webcasts of past quarterly meetings.
- CDPH ISSUES ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES TO 12 HOSPITALS
“The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced today that 12 California hospitals have been assessed 14 administrative penalties after a determination that the facilities’ noncompliance with licensing requirements has caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients.”
- Dialysis Facility Surveys--California 2010
End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Dialysis Facility Survey reports for California for 2010.
- Influenza Vaccination Among Employees in California General Acute Care Hospitals for the 2008-2009 Respiratory Season
The California Department of Public Health reports findings revealed in Consumers Union’s report that only about half of California healthcare workers got vaccinated during the 2008-2009 flu season.
- Events that are never supposed to happen in state hospitals (graphic)
Graphic of some of the adverse events reported by California hospitals over the past two fiscal years.
- Doctors Behaving Badly: Medical boards should drop the stone tools, join the digital age
Many state medical board websites are not consumer-friendly, and it can be confusing or impossible to find information about a doctor’s disciplinary, criminal or malpractice history. In response, journalist William Heisel has created a Google map of “doctors behaving badly” with links to bad doctor new articles.
- What to Do if You Have a Concern about the Quality of Care from a California Physician
Steps you can take if you are concerned about your care under a CA physician.
Activists in California
In October of last year, Terri wanted to become involved in her state’s special election in a real way. With each passing day, she became angrier about the TV ads the drug companies were constantly running to defeat real drug price reform…
Terri of Oakland, California
On Halloween night 2004, Ann Marie Robinson of California spent the night in the local hospital. “I came out the next day with Clostridium Difficile, something worse than what sent me there in the first place,” she says. Frustrated with the hospital’s response to her problems, she wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper last year seeking other people in the same situation. Within 3 days, 46 people had called, and so she created “Infection Connection”…
Ann Marie of Chico, California
Ellen has always cared about health care issues, but last November’s Special Election in California really pushed her to get more involved. Ellen worked closely with Consumers Union and other community activists to reduce drug costs by supporting Prop 79.
Ellen has firsthand experience dealing with high prescription drug costs, as her husband pays a lot for his medications every month. With a full-time job, Ellen found the time to connect Consumers Union to local community activists, who together distributed 3,000 “Yes on 79″ doorhangers in her neighborhood.
Although Prop 79 was defeated at the polls, good prescription drug legislation will likely move in the legislature this year and Ellen will continue to work with Consumers Union online and offline to get a good bill passed.
Ellen of Los Osos, California
Stories from California
My pregnancy was completely normal and everything seemed perfect. Charlee was my husband’s only child and his pride and joy.
Kimberly of Rocklin, California
On September 30 of 1991, a simple forceps biopsy was performed (in my chest of a massive 13cm tumor) to diagnose, and/or grade and stage Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A surgical accident occured during this biopsy
Holly of San Diego, California
In November 2006, following a medical procedure, I came down with a 104 fever with an extreme headache. Informing the doctor of my symptoms, I was told I had probably caught a ‘flu bug’ and to wait it out until my post-op appointment two weeks later.
Tracey of Oceanside, California
My 12 year old daughter, Leah, had an epidural for pain relief following surgery. It was approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch in the wrong place. The staff then removed her pulse oximeter after 24 hours while continuing to increase the narcotics: the hospital was “testing” a new computer program. Pediatric dosages had not yet been programmed in. Most staff was not trained in using this system. She died 30 hours after surgery from many errors, and eventually an overdose.
Lenore of Oak Park, California
My dear father, a 77-year old man with a history of pulmonary problems, suffered irreversible brain damage when he was deprived of oxygen and received a large quantity of pain and anti-anxiety medicine which caused him to go into respiratory arrest. He needed an MRI to diagnose some extreme back pain, and was transported via ambulance from the hospital to the hospital’s MRI facility across the street without his oxygen. He was also without oxygen for the duration of the MRI.