Dynamic Pulse CPSEA Symposium Kicks off TakeCHARGE Campaign for 2022

WANTAGH, N.Y. - March 22, 2022 - PRLog -- In a unique symposium presented by Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy on March 18^th-19^th, a remarkable roster of speakers addressed and interacted with scores of participants interested in improving the safety of medical care.

The all-virtual event coincided with Patient Safety Awareness Week, and launched the third year of the TakeCHARGE Campaign, a social media-based public awareness program started by Pulse in 2020, encouraging everyone to take five steps over five months that will help them and their families avoid injury or death from medical treatment.

Each session related to one of the 5 Steps :

1.     Complete advance directives
2.     Keep a medical history and medications list
3.     Prepare for doctor visits with notes, symptoms and written questions
4.     Reduce infections by encouraging hand-washing
5.     Use a patient advocate and be an advocate for others

The TakeCHARGE Campaign was used by The Joint Commission and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to educate their staff. A dozen leading advocacy groups from around the country also participated in the 2021 Campaign. Sponsors of the symposium included Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Greater National Advocates, Hofstra University and others.

Part of what made the event unique was that the speakers weren't presenting dry data, they larded their talks with actual stories of real patients. In other cases, it was the survivors of medical injury themselves who told their harrowing personal tales. Said one participant, "These stories show us how patient safety works — or fails — in the real world."

Pulse president and Ilene Corina says, "We are grateful for our sponsors and the wonderful planning team of community members who are passionate about this cause of reducing medical injury. Step 1 of this year's TakeCHARGE Campaign — 'Complete your advance directives' — starts early next month."

An attendee, Susan Capurso of East End Doula Care on Long Island, comments: "This was a complete, detailed and focused event about topics that are so important to everyone. The speakers were professional, intelligent and informative in every way."

Sofie Schwartz, with symposium sponsor Greater National Advocates, adds, "The TakeCHARGE: 5 Steps to Safer Health Care Symposium was a complete success! It allowed for the growing community of patient advocates to share experiences and knowledge. The Advocate Panel Discussion on Friday was specifically successful in these missions. The panel demonstrated the beauty of independent patient advocacy while also demonstrating how collaborative their work really is."

For more information, please visit: https://takecharge.care and https://www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org.

Social:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/takechargecampaign/
https://twitter.com/TakechargeC
https://www.instagram.com/takechargecampaign5steps/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/takecharge-campaign-5160a31a3/

Contact: Ilene Corina. 516-579-4711. icorina@pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org
David Halperin: mediaworkshop@runbox.com