375th MDG joins national effort for patient safety Published March 7, 2012 By Shawn Saunders 375th Medical Group SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- In an effort to raise awareness and encourage the engagement of patients, families, health care providers, and the public, the 375th Medical Group announced its participation in the 2012 Patient Safety Awareness Week campaign March 4-10. This year's theme, "Be Aware for Safe Care," focuses on the need for everyone to understand the importance of patient safety and to recognize the range of efforts being made to improve health safety in the United States and worldwide. Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual, NPSF-led education and awareness campaign for healthcare safety. Each year, healthcare organizations around the world take part in the event by prominently displaying the NPSF campaign logo and promotional materials within their organizations, creating awareness in the community and deploying NPSF educational resources to hospital staff. The 375th MDG will engage staff, patients and the community through educational and awareness-building activities specific to patient safety. The campaign seeks to make patients, providers, and the public aware of the ways they can participate in these efforts and partner to improve patient safety. While efforts of the past decade have brought improvements, recent studies indicate that much work remains to be done and can be done most effectively through the involvement of all parties. This year's theme emphasizes the fact that safety issues impact everyone. "The more we work together to promote patient safety, the more we all benefit from a safe healthcare system," said Diane C. Pinakiewicz, president of National Patient Safety Foundation. NPSF encourages creative collaboration among provider groups, patient advocates, and other community organizations to help patients and consumers understand how they can participate to be part of the solution. For additional information on Patient Safety Awareness Week, please visit www.npsf.org.