List of major accomplishments by Washington Advocates for Patient Safety
- State Legislative Efforts: We educate state legislators and the general public on various patient safety issues that matter to Washington State We also testify before state House and Senate healthcare committees on behalf of patients and consumers. Below is a list of some of our legislative accomplishments:
- Instrumental in getting a bill passed to require more transparency from the Medical Board
- Instrumental in getting a bill passed to require medical providers charged with sexual misconduct to inform their patients if they are still allowed to practice
- Successfully stopped a bill that would have removed the existing state requirement to report infections involved with hip and knee surgeries as well as cardiac surgeries
- Supported the bill to establish a state all-payer claims database to track the quality of care
- Successfully stopped a bill that would shield doctors who commit unprofessional conducts from being reported to the public
- Supported a bill that would increase nurse-to-patient ratio
- Constantly promoting legislation to protect patients and their safety
- To bring patients’ and public’s voices into the medical policy decision-making process, our members have been or are currently serving on various state and federal committees as well as other patient safety organizations:
- Patient Safety Standing Committee, National Quality Forum (NQF)
- Member of AHRQ Advisory Committee
- Member of AHRQ PSNet Technical Export Panel
- Consumer representative, FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
- Patient representative on the Communications and Resolution Program Oversight Subcommittee (CRP)
- Teaching faculty for UW TeamSTEPPS Program
- Teaching faculty on University of Washington Train the Trainer Project
- Public member on Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Committee
- Member on Washington State Healthcare Acquired Infection Advisory Committee
- Patient representative on the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) clinical policy committee
- NW Patient Safety Conference Planning Committee
- Member of Washington Patient Safety Coalition Steering Committee
- We do presentations on various patient safety topics at senior centers, the UW Medical School, Shoreline Nursing School, and other venues.
- As a member of Patient Action Safety Network, we have participated in several of their annual workshops and worked together on both state and federal legislative issues to protect patients.
- As a member of the National Center for Health Research, we have participated in the patient safety workshops and submitted many joint letters to FDA to represent patients’ perspectives on federal policies that effect medical device and medication safety.
Please help us be more effective as a voice of patients. Join us today or add your name as a supporter.
