Medicare Won't Pay for Hospital Errors
AOL HEALTH NEWS: http://news.aol.com/health/story/_a/medicare-wont-pay-for-hospital-errors/20070819074009990001

Hospitals won't get to bill for errors http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/HospitalsWontGetToBillForErrors.aspx

Who foots the bill for medical mistakes? 11 states waive fees for worst mistakes, but most will charge you or insurer.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23341360/

Testing the Limits of Transparency: A few hospitals are inviting patients' families to join them in root cause analysis discussions.
by Patrice Spath www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/05MAY2008/080513HHN_Online_Spath&domain=HHNMAG

NEWS01

Your Guide to Preventing Medical Mistakes: Hospitals may be hazardous to your health
by Lorie A. Parch, Additional reporting by Kimberly Holland and Brittani Tingle
Health Magazine: http://living.health.com/2008/06/18/guide-to-preventing-medical-mistakes/

How hospitals compare (SC): www.thestate.com/local/story/435163.html

Fatal Care: The Taylor McCormack Story www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/LIFE/806190301

Activists target hospital safety www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200806181313/NEWS01/80618026

'Sorry' started here: VA began error disclosure www.kentucky.com/779/story/440590.html

Doctors Start to Say "I'm Sorry" Long Before 'See You in Court'
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/18apology.html?ei=5070&en=3d8308f354396f53&ex=1211774400&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1211119752-XTvQq1iVeFrxkdpqmlEG7Q&pagewanted=all

Prescription for secrecy from the Board of Medicine
www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Prescription+for+secrecy+from+the+Board+of+Medicine&articleId=a46d99df-ee27-4067-9e4d-6193c09e31a2

Patients often struggle for access to medical records www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-29-medical-records_N.htm

Patients Help Pave the Road in Error Prevention. Dialysis Patient Safety www.renalbusiness.com/articles/dialysis_patient_safety.html

The Aftermath of a 'Never Event'. A child's unexplained death and a system seemingly designed to thwart justice
by Dale Ann Micalizzi www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=toc

PatientsLikeMe: Online communities seek experience-based medicine www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/magazine/23patients-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The Junkie in the O.R.: Some doctors are addicted to the very drugs they prescribe. Find out why going under the knife could be more dangerous than you think. www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=health&category=doctors.hospitals&conitem=d7a4dfaa4d41e010VgnVCM20000012281eac

Rembrandt's PR and Writing Blog for Startup Success – PR Success of Maureens Mission www.shopfloorblog.com/2008/03/rembrandts-pr-2.html

In honor of a son who died too soon. Mother helps others through boy's legacy www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/07/in_honor_son_who_died_too_soon36338/

Good Doctors Spot Mistakes, Save Lives www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20789360/site/newsweek/page/0/

Incredible lawsuit tales www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/5325241.html

Doctors Who Do Harm
Good physicians know the bad ones in their midst. Why don't they point fingers?
Reader's Digest, March 2008 www.rd.com/content/printContent.do?contentId=53670

Turning a child's death into hope: Parents aim to honor son with a hospital
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flfsebastian0309sbmar09,0,7535816.story

Connecticut Business News Journal
Heal Thyself? Fines point to woes at state's hospitals www.conntact.com/article_page.lasso?id=41757

Many lawsuits against pharmacies settled in silence
by Erik Brady and Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2008-02-13-pharmacy-errors-secrecy_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Arizona Medical Board's hands-off approach to relapsed addict physicians is endangering patients
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-03-06/news/arizona-medical-board-s-hands-off-approach-to-relapsed-addict-physicians-is-endangering-patients

Poll: Majority of Jerseyans see big problems with health care. Medical errors raise fears of 'crisis' in state
www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1204781749180230.xml&coll=1

Forbes.com Cover Story
Bad Medicine www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0310/086_print.html

Dartmouth Medicine
Making Choice an Option http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/fall07/print/choice.php

Family awarded $340,000 in botched surgery
The victim's family first filed their $3 million lawsuit in 2002. The case went to trial three times. www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/144870

Hectic shifts have nurses worried. Nurses and patients alike say in a survey that low staffing jeopardizes quality care in Minnesota. The nurses' union is proposing legislation to address workloads.www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_7833721?nclick_check=1

CNN The Empowered Patient, Should I sue my doctor?
By Elizabeth Cohen www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/01/09/ep.suing.docs/index.html

Clear results, disputed method. Ruling on research endangers patients, doctors say.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.checklist12jan12,0,6565270.story?coll=bal_news_education_k12_promo

France best, U.S. worst in preventable death ranking http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080108/hl_nm/deaths_rankings_dc_1

Medical industry plans to rate payment history www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed_medfico_0102jan02,0,4105866.story

Hospital safety reports past due. Officials debate reasons for three studies' delays
www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-hospital_bd06jan06,1,7606956.story

Measure born of couple's grief to become law www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/31/measure-born-of-couples-grief-to-become-law/

Many Errors by Medical Residents Caused by Teamwork Breakdowns, Lack of Supervision. Press Release, October 22, 2007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2007/teambreakpr.htm

A profession is born to help people navigate the health care maze www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/18/MNJQSQA2O.DTL

Terminal Condition by Stephanie and Ralph Speken www.med-malpractice.com/terminalconditionface.htm

The Death of Mark Tsvok: Patients in the Dark by Hilary Waldman www.courant.com/news/local/hc-tsvokdoc1014.artoct14,0,1592569.story

Hospital Remembers Boy's Death: www.courant.com/news/local/hc-tsvokside1014.artoct14,0,5612146.story

Hospital Admits Error Caused 3-Year-Old's Death www.wesh.com/news/14428893/detail.html

Father Hopes Erin's Story Will Save Others www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/14/father-hopes-erins-story-will-save-others/?life-health

New rule bans retaliation against whistleblowers
"The Joint Commission has issued new rules prohibiting retaliatory disciplinary action against workers who report concerns about the safety and quality of care at accredited facilities." www.mcknightsonline.com/content/index.php?id=24&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4105&tx_ttnews[backPid]=3&cHash=ab8a0c321b

New England Journal of Medicine Vol 357 (10):960-963 September 6, 2007

Sidelining Safety — The FDA's Inadequate Response to the IOM
by Sheila Weiss Smith, Ph.D. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/10/960?query=TOC

Doctors try new word: Sorry.
Admitting mistakes not just right thing to do, medical community finds it may prevent malpractice suits
www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-apologies_bd19aug19,0,2991957.story

New York City Puts Hospital Error Data Online www.nytimes.com/2007/09/07/nyregion/07hospital.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

Teaming Up to Prevent 'Crashes'
Some Hospitals Give Patients the Power to Get Extra Help, Stat
By Shirley S. Wang, Special to The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/31/AR2007083101788.html

Changes hit nursing board after blistering report www.theregalcourier.com/news/story.php?story_id=118903378008254100

New law will make it easier to look up malpractice records www.charlotte.com/162/story/253713.html

An order to release Medicare files might help patients choose physicians.
Medical experts say the records don't tell the whole story.
by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-doctors30aug30,1,7102255.story

Medical Justice targets online defamation of docs
The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area
Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC
www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2007/08/27/daily19.html

41 nations top U.S. life expectancy http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2003832640_life12.html

Give it to us straight, doc www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0823edit1aug23,0,4582879.story

We're Not Your Enemy: An Appeal from a Consumer to Re-imagine Tort Reform
by Susan S. Sheridan, MIM, MBA and Martin J. Hatlie, JD
Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare July / August 2007 www.psqh.com/julaug07/tortreform.html

Advancing Patient Safety through State Reporting Systems - Perspective
by Jill Rosenthal, MPH www.webmm.ahrq.gov/perspective.aspx?perspectiveID=43

How to Size Up Your Hospital
Improved Public Databases Let People Compare Practices and Outcomes; The Importance of Looking Past the Numbers
by Theo Francis

Getting the patient's perspective by Melissa Beecher, Globe Correspondent
www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/15/getting_the_patients_perspective

Prescription for reform by Judith Graham, Chicago Tribune staff reporter
www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-poi_relman_thinkjul01,1,7975161.story

E-questions for an e-age www.intergovworld.com/article/idgml-bed7e92b-1c3c-4761-b1a8-ea352e97ddd0/pg1.htm

To Reduce Risks, Hospitals Enlist 'Proceduralists'
The Informed Patient by Laura Landro
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118410727844462566-search.html?KEYWORDS=health+care&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month

Hospital sanctioned $1.3 million over lawsuit
"A Parkersburg hospital has been ordered to pay a $1.3 million sanction in a medical malpractice case for allegedly violating court orders and other misconduct..." by The Associated Press

www.dailymail.com/story/News/2007053042/Hospital-sanctioned-1-3-million-over-lawsuit

Medical Misconnections Day 3: Making Care Safer www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/index.php?ntid=198820&ntpid=4

Insurer's plan: Cut malpractice suits

by Will Shanley, Denver Post Staff Writer, http://origin.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6277831

Southland doctor's company prospers by canceling insurance contracts and, some say, shortchanging patients.
www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-reddy8jul08,0,2089992.story?coll=la-tot-topstories

No Minor Mistake: Doctor's Error, Your Expense
Preventable medical errors cost employers billions of dollars a year. Now, some firms are standing up to the medical establishment, saying they'll refuse to pay for botched treatment and demanding high standards of care and safety.
by Jeremy Smerd, www.workforce.com/section/02/feature/24/97/66/index.html

One-year Anniversary Marks Birth And Death For Grandmother Raising Daughter's Child.
by David Wahlberg, Wisconsin State Journal, www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/06/24/0706250242.php

A Common Medical Mistake - Tubing Misconnections Can Be Deadly. There's A 'no-brainer' Solution.
Stories by David Wahlberg, Wisconsin State Journal, www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/06/24/0706250245.php

In Health Care, Cost Isn’t Proof of High Quality

www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/health/14insure.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=health&adxnnlx=1181911337-A2/au4tePwTiZqXQLucmCw

Doctor testifies about 'threats'
www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-doctorhearing_04met.ART.State.Edition1.433eca9.html

The Informed Patient by Laura Landro
Patients, Families Take Up The Cause of Hospital Safety
Grass-Roots Movement Offers Support, Information to People Affected by Medical Errors
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118048050393817811.html?mod=home_health_right

How a hospital death became a cause celebre. A videotape and two 911 calls cast light on a case that might've been ignored. www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-king15jun15,0,1859102.story?coll=la-home-center

Is Your Surgeon Scamming You?

by John Brant, Men's Health, Men's Health http://health.msn.com/menshealth/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100164538

Patients back WHO medical safety rules
www.upi.com/Consumer_Health_Daily/Briefing/2007/05/02/patients_back_who_medical_safety_rules

U.N. agency launches effort against medical errors http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070502/hl_nm/mistakes_dc_4

My Mother's Haunting End: By Richard Pretorius, Washington Post - Email: rpretorius@aim.com
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050402554_pf.html

Transparency provides better look at health care by Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY
Includes State websites that report quality data www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-05-22-death-rates-side_N.htm

Does where you live determine if you'll live? by Steve Sternberg and Anthony DeBarros, USA TODAY
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-05-22-death-rates_N.htm

Hasner bill will provide relief to Sussers; Crist expected to sign. by John Johnston
www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&refno=19702&category=Local%20News

Eye To Eye: Donald Berwick

Dr. Donald Berwick, the president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, talks with Katie Couric about his crusade to make hospitals safer for patients. Watch the video at www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2440764n

Patient Safety Study | Nearly 250,000 deaths could have been prevented, report says. There were about 1.16 million reported incidents between 2003 and 2005, by Julius A. Karash @ The Kansas City Star

www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/17012714.htm

Hospital simulators offer real learning opportunity
Health students get chance to test skills by Liv Osby HEALTH WRITER, losby@greenvillenews.com
"Lewis Blackman was just 15 when he died after surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina, one of thousands of Americans who die as a result of medical error every year. On Wednesday, a plaque in his memory was unveiled at a center in Greenville that's part of a statewide program aimed at improving patient safety, a program that will bear his name. The Greenville Healthcare Simulation Center at Greenville Memorial Hospital will give future health care professionals a chance to learn on simulators before turning their hand to live patients."
To read the full article: www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703150315

U.S. Department of Justice · Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Medical Malpractice Insurance Claims in Seven States, 2000-2004 www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/mmicss04.htm

Monitoring malpractice

By discouraging lawsuits and capping damages, Indiana’s system either controls costs – or it makes the injured suffer even more
by Michael Schroeder, The Journal Gazette www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/17047480.htm

Hospital secrecy to end www.thestar.com/News/article/202287

Ex-doctor suing for $40 million - Burlington Free Press by Sam Hemingway www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070520/NEWS02/705200321/1007

Backfire at Boeing: Misadventure in High-Performance Health Care
How the aerospace company's effort to institute performance-based health care raised the ire of workers and physicians and landed its insurer in legal hot water. www.workforce.com/section/02/feature/24/80/93/index.html

Study: Hospital goals compromise safety

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=196367

Five hospitals release data on inspections: Surprise visits revealed some flaws in patient care www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/21/five_hospitals_release_data_on_inspections?mode=PF

Silent crisis by Claude Solnik www.libn.com/article.htm?articleID=38789

Senate splits on hospital secrets: Some costs must be told, others not. - by Dan Kane www.newsobserver.com/712/story/574154.html

New Jersey not saying which hospitals were sites of dangerous infections
www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/20070513_ap_njnotsayingwhichhospitalsweresitesofdangerousinfections.html

Medical Mistakes Bill Advances At Capitol http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_109085914.html

House passes claims bill for girl paralyzed after surgery as baby www.bradenton.com/331/story/31414.html

Medical board called too lax www.newszap.com/articles/2007/04/08/dm/central_delaware/dsn01.txt

Medical 'dirty secret' out in open
"For too long" hospitals and dialysis centers "have kept patient infections a dirty secret," said Lisa McGiffert, director of Consumer Union's Stop Hospital Infections campaign." http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070308-115038-7792r.htm

Mother campaigns for malpractice disclosure by Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5446974,00.html

Family Seeks Public Access To Doctors' Mistakes http://cbs4denver.com/health/local_story_080220722.html

"Physician Malpractice Database Includes Indiana : Golden, Colo.--HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent health care ratings company, has compiled the first national database of physician malpractice records available to the public. Detailed information on medical malpractice judgments, settlements and arbitration awards against physicians in fifteen states is now available on-line, at www.healthgrades.com, as part of HealthGrades’ physician quality reports for consumers." ~ Source: Inside Indiana Business www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=22497

Healthy Savings On Hospital Bills: Advocates Who Find Overcharges And Hidden Charges Can Pare Thousands Off Sky-High Bills www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/26/eveningnews/main2610217.shtml

Ritter signs bill protecting medical whistle-blowers

www.summitdaily.com/article/20070329/NEWS/103290075

Common gallbladder surgery risk avoidable by David Armstrong @ The Wall Street Journal www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/NEWS07/703290340

Extending the Cure - The Story of Michael and Mark Bennett www.extendingthecure.org/downloads/ETC_Feature_Story_Bennett.pdf

Lost classmate will still help friends: Ten Schalmont grads will get scholarships in memory of boy who died http://timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=575934, Albany Times Union

Girl's death stirs debate over psychiatric meds: Parents of 4-year-old accused of intentionally overmedicating daughter.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17758170/

Veterans hospitals received gold seal / Joint Commission awarded certification after VA withheld info about poor care
by STELLA M. HOPKINS. For article contact at 704-358-5173 or via email: shopkins@charlotteobserver.com

A HIDDEN SHAME: Danger and death in Georgia's mental hospitals

A family shattered by failure in care By ALAN JUDD, ANDY MILLER @ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2007/03/31/0401meshmental.html

Some Hospitals Call 911 to Save Their Patients www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/business/02alarm.html?_r=3&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Adoption of Patient-Centered Care Practices by Physicians www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=365654&#doc365654

Who Cares What Patients Think? An Alliance for Health Reform/Commonwealth Fund Briefing www.allhealth.org/briefing_detail.asp?bi=92

Beyond Our Walls: Impact of Patient and Provider Coordination Across the Continuum on Outcomes for Surgical Patients
www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=453771&#doc453771

S.C. hospitals launching patient safety initiatives
New measures are aimed at making more information available to the public www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/16562686.htm

Appraising PHC4’s infection report http://physiciansnews.com/cover/107pa.html

Quality Matters: Nursing Home Quality Improvement www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=441561#case

Baby Has Jaundice, is that A Problem? http://users1.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB117073404433599202.html

Patient Protect Thyself by Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-02-04-patient-safety_x.htm?csp=34

Family has hopes girl's autopsy will answer questions:

Chrissy Potter, 7, died Saturday, weeks after tonsillectomy www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1168942587185840.xml&coll=3

Backlash at bills for medical mistakes: Firms tired of paying for low-quality care
By Bruce Japsen, www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0611160125nov16,0,4190587.story?coll=chi-business-hed

First Person: To really learn about medical errors, turn off the PowerPoint
Institute for Healthcare Improvement's forum enlivened by real people's stories
By: Andis Robeznieks / HITS staff writer
www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/FREE/312180001/-1/ForumRss

Hospitals aim to do less harm
Building on success in preventing deaths, new goal is to reduce injuries by 5 million
By Mark Johnson www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=541126

Victims of Malpractice Have Limited Options www.nwaonline.net/letters/#Victims_of_Malpractice_Have_Limited_Options

Independent probes by coroners urged www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/16562276.htm

WHAT’S THE TROUBLE? by JEROME GROOPMAN How doctors think. www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/070129fa_fact_groopman

"It's a new day" as secrecy fades
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003503151_yourcourts31m.html
By Ken Armstrong, Justin Mayo and Steve Miletich

What ails hospitals is silence www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=5149506&siteId=36

Doctor's bankruptcy filing provides malpractice haven
www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2006/12/24/m1a_bankruptdoc_1224.html

Doctors: Focus on care, not tort reform, www.hdonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/OPINION/612210301/1034

Teaching Hospitals How to Listen
One Woman Struggled to Convince Administrators That Staff
Responsiveness -- or Lack of It -- Affects Patient Outcome
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/08/AR2006120801085.html

The Tennessean Saturday, 12/16/06
No matter where patients go, chip lets hospital know Surveillance draws praise and worry
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061216/NEWS07/612160347/1024/NEWS

www.theeveningbulletin.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17580420&BRD=2737&PAG=461
Denenberg: Omitted Reasons Why The Health-Care System Is So Expensive
By: Herb Denenberg, Special To The Bulletin

Putting medical errors under the microscope
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-10-11-patient-safety-reference_x.htm?POE=click-refer

MEDICAL MISHAP: One Woman's Nightmare www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4861028

Are you gambling with your health when choosing a hospital? www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061110_jj_hospitalinfections.242795d6.html

Chronicles Woman's Effort to Forgive Surgical Cover-Up
Robert Wayne, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1443861.html?view=print

America bails out on HMOs: Rising costs lead consumers to enroll in other health plans
www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-0611190266nov19,1,6215594.story?coll=chi-health-hed

Only Suckers Pay Retail: How to chop hundreds of dollars off your medical bills.
David Whelan www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/1127/054b.html?partner=magazine_newsletter

1st annual report for the New Jersey Patient Safety Initiative provides a summary of the 2005 activities of the Patient Safety Initiative and the reported events/related RCAs for that year. The New Jersey reporting system is based on the NQF "never events." This Patient Safety Initiative web site includes a link to the report, newsletters and other materials. www.nj.gov/health/hcqo/ps

Duke funds to focus on patient care, safety - $21 million will help reduce errors
www.greenvillenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060820/NEWS05/608200329&SearchID=73254637076144&template=printart

How To Fix The System by Donald Berwick www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186717,00.html

Curing Medical Mistakes www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-opwac274866145aug27,0,5285311.story?coll=ny-health-print

Executive Order: Promoting Quality and Efficient Health Care in Federal Government Administered or Sponsored Health Care Programs www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/08/20060822-2.html

Transparency in Health Care: The Time Has Come
By The Commonweath Fund President Karen Davis, Ph.D., and Fund Senior Program Officer Sara R. Collins

"One of the defining characteristics of U.S. health care markets is their lack of transparency. More and better information on the costs and quality of health services could improve the system—by enabling providers to benchmark their performance against their peers, allowing private insurers and public programs to reward quality and efficiency, and helping patients make informed choices about their care.

Transparency could also level the playing field. The widespread practice of charging patients different prices for the same care is inherently unequal, especially when the uninsured are charged more than others."

To read the complete article: www.cmwf.org/aboutus/aboutus_show.htm?doc_id=365285&#doc365285

Malpractice cap hasn't lowered premiums: State pain and suffering law took effect a year ago
www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006609180317

Lawyers sue over doctors' licensing rule

www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/15533734.htm

Rankings raise issue of aggressive health care. Web site compares hospitals, but doctors say it doesn't tell whole story about painful questions families face. by Liv Osby www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080615/NEWS05/806150313/1001/NEWS01

A profession is born to help people navigate the health care maze www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/18/MNJQSQA2O.DTL

Getting the patient's perspective by Melissa Beecher, Globe Correspondent www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/15/getting_the_patients_perspective

Prescription for reform by Judith Graham, Chicago Tribune staff reporter www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-poi_relman_thinkjul01,1,7975161.story

A Common Medical Mistake - Tubing Misconnections Can Be Deadly. There's A 'no-brainer' Solution. Stories by David Wahlberg, Wisconsin State Journal, www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/06/24/0706250245.php

Five hospitals release data on inspections: Surprise visits revealed some flaws in patient care www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/21/five_hospitals_release_data_on_inspections?mode=PF

New Jersey not saying which hospitals were sites of dangerous infections www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/20070513_ap_njnotsayingwhichhospitalsweresitesofdangerousinfections.html

Medical 'dirty secret' out in open "For too long" hospitals and dialysis centers "have kept patient infections a dirty secret," said Lisa McGiffert, director of Consumer Union's Stop Hospital Infections campaign." http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070308-115038-7792r.htm

Veterans hospitals received gold seal / Joint Commission awarded certification after VA withheld info about poor care by STELLA M. HOPKINS. For article contact at 704-358-5173 or via email: shopkins@charlotteobserver.com