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
- Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) in California Hospitals, 2011
- California Hospital Infection Reports
Consumers Union Documents
- Consumers Union Comments on California Proposed Regulations on Hospital Fines
Comments from Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project and Nile’s Project to the California Department of Public Health on the proposed regulations on hospital administrative penalties, specifically focusing on fines assessed due to a hospital’s noncompliance with laws that has caused or is likely to cause serious injury or death to a patient. CA’s proposed regulations leave several gaps in effectively implementing these fines and we urge that they be revised to provide clarity and to more appropriately fine the worst violators.
- Consumers Union Opposition Letter and Patient Statements regarding SB 1483 Impaired Physicians
Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project opposes SB 1483 (Steinberg), which would establish a costly and unnecessary government entity to serve as a substance abuse and mental health treatment referral service for physicians, who are well-equipped to find their own therapy services, while leaving patients uninformed and unprotected.
- Consumers Union Letter to CA’s Governor Brown Regarding: Request for executive action to require that the Medical Board of California provide teleconference participation in its public meetings
Consumers Union letter to CA’s Governor Brown: We are concerned about poor consumer access to Medical Board of California (MBC) meetings and request that you take executive action to require that the MBC make all of its public meetings available for interactive public participation through teleconferencing.
- Letter to CA’s Governor Brown re: Gubernatorial appointments of public members to the Medical Board of California
Consumers Union and other CA consumer groups send a letter to CA’s Governor Brown about the need to appoint public members to the vacant seats on the Medical Board of California (MBC). A number of patient safety issues deserve the attention of a full and balanced MBC.
- Consumers Union Letter to Medical Board of California Members
Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project and CA patient safety advocates send a letter to members of the Medical Board of California (MBC) regarding issues affecting consumers, such as: better access to medical board meetings; MBC’s confusing statute of limitations information for filing complaints; and MBC’s responsibilities related to outpatient settings.
- 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)
Consumers Union News Releases
- California Medical Board reforms needed
Monday, March 11, 2013 Consumers Union Urges California to Adopt Medical Board Reforms to Improve Oversight of Centers and Problem Physicians State Lawmakers Begin Sunset Review of the Medical Board of California SACRAMENTO, CA – Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, urged state lawmakers today to implement a number of Continue Reading
- California Issues Report Detailing Hospital Infection Rates For 2011
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a number of reports today updating hospital infection rates for hospitals throughout the state during 2011. All California hospitals are required to publicly report patient infection data as a result of a 2008 state law that aims to encourage hospitals to improve efforts to prevent infections.
- 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.
- 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
- 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
Blog Posts
- California activists urge lawmakers to reform California Medical Board
In March 2013, Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project organized a small but powerful gathering of eight California consumer advocates in Sacramento to discuss patient safety issues related to California’s medical board sunset review process, hospital infections, and more. One advocate who attended, Alicia Cole, sent a terrific email about the meeting that we decided to post it as a guest blog.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Let’s talk about MRSA
Learn about MRSA from the people who have had personal experiences with this harmful superbug.
News Articles
- Rocklin doctor's license suspended Source: Sacramento Business Journal (Thursday May 2, 2013)
Rocklin doctor has license suspended after a court found that her practicing medicine “will endanger the public health, safety and welfare.”
- California's medical board backs some prescription-drug-abuse reforms Source: Los Angeles Times (Friday April 26, 2013)
LA Times reports: “The Medical Board of California on Friday embraced a host of reforms aimed at combating prescription drug abuse and reducing overdose deaths but balked at a proposal to strip it of its authority to investigate physician misconduct.”
- Michael Hiltzik, LA Times: Legislature should pull plug on inept Medical Board of California Source: Los Angeles Times (Friday April 26, 2013)
Michael Hiltzik of LA Times: “Legislators should sunset the medical board’s do-nothing, know-nothing membership and executive director, and start over fresh.”
- Medical Board of California could lose investigative powers Source: Los Angeles Times (Thursday April 25, 2013)
Legislators propose turning over investigations of doctors to the state attorney general’s office, leaving the board to deal with licensing.
- Report: San Diego Chargers team physician has job despite issues Source: Sporting News (Wednesday April 24, 2013)
San Diego Chargers team physician has a history of lawsuits filed against him by former patients, and drinking and driving citations, Sporting News reports.
- Legislators threaten to kill state medical board Source: Los Angeles Times (Thursday April 11, 2013)
Lawmakers warn that they will let the agency expire next year if it doesn’t become more aggressive in taking action against dangerous doctors.
- CDPH Fines San Diego Care Center in Death of Resident Source: CDPH (Monday March 25, 2013)
A CDPH investigation found that inadequate care resulted in the death of a nursing home resident.
- Anaheim General to close in May Source: OC Register (Tuesday March 26, 2013)
The decision comes after years of patient safety violations and financial struggles that were followed by an unexpected recovery for the hospital.
- Medical Board of California failing to implement new surgery center law designed to inform consumers Source: Southern California Public Radio (Monday March 11, 2013)
The Medical Board of California has largely failed to implement key provisions of a law intended, in part, to provide consumers with better information about physician-owned, outpatient surgery centers that the agency is responsible for regulating, KPCC has found. Lisa McGiffert, Director of Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project quoted.
- California woman dies after nurse refuses to perform CPR Source: Fox News (Monday March 4, 2013)
CA woman dies in retirement home after nurse fails to perform CPR.
Research and Reports
- California Medical Board videos Source: YouTube (Wednesday December 12, 2012)
CA medical board meetings on YouTube.
- RECALL: Methylprednisolone Acetate Injections Related to Multistate Meningitis Outbreak Source: California Department of Public Health (Monday October 15, 2012)
CDPH received a list of the recalled methylprednisolone acetate lots shipped to California facilities on September 28, 2012, and immediately notified the three local health jurisdictions where the lots had been received, including the names of the four facilities in those jurisdictions that may have administered the recalled medication. The facilities are in the process of notifying affected patients under the oversight of local health departments. No related cases of meningitis have been identified to date in California. Nationally, the illness has only been associated with one of the three lots that were initially recalled, and all of the California facilities that were identified as recipients have already been notified.
- California Joint Replacement Registry Source: California Joint Replacement Registry (Tuesday August 7, 2012)
The California Joint Replacement Registry (CJRR) is an effort by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH), and the California Orthopaedic Association (COA) to collect and share information about hip and knee replacement surgeries performed in the state.
- Medical Board of California Complaint Brochure Source: Medical Board of California (Friday June 1, 2012)
“How Complaints are Handled” brochure by the California medical board
- 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.
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
The surgeon in California, who originally did a hip replacement on my right hip, used a laser to assure that both my legs were the same length. When the liner broke (13 years later), the orthopedic surgeon replaced the ball with a larger ball. This resulted in my right leg (where hip replacement was) being longer than left leg. I now limp because the left leg is approximately 3/4″ shorter.