[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 320 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

  2d Session
S. RES. 320

 Designating the week of March 7 through March 13, 2004, as ``National 
                    Patient Safety Awareness Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2004

Mr. Graham of Florida (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
Jeffords, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Frist, and Mr. Enzi) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating the week of March 7 through March 13, 2004, as ``National 
                    Patient Safety Awareness Week''.

Whereas patient safety is an issue of significant importance to the United 
        States;
Whereas 1 in every 5 citizens of the United States has experienced a medical 
        error or has a family member who has experienced a medical error;
Whereas medical errors often have serious and profound consequences;
Whereas it is estimated that injuries from preventable medical errors cost the 
        United States economy between $17,000,000,000 and $29,000,000,000 each 
        year;
Whereas more people die annually from medical errors than from automobile 
        accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS;
Whereas increased patient and provider education and collaboration can help 
        avoid medical errors;
Whereas the Institute of Medicine has stated that a ``critical component of a 
        comprehensive strategy to improve patient safety is to create an 
        environment that encourages organizations to identify errors, evaluate 
        causes and take appropriate actions to improve performance in the 
        future,'' and further, that ``a more conducive environment is needed to 
        encourage health care professionals and organizations to identify, 
        analyze, and report errors without threat of litigation and without 
        compromising patients' legal rights'';
Whereas better systems can be implemented to reduce the factors that lead to 
        medical errors;
Whereas innovative educational and research programs are being conducted by the 
        National Patient Safety Foundation as well as by other public and 
        private entities to develop methods for avoiding preventable injuries 
        and to assess the effectiveness of new techniques to increase patient 
        safety; and
Whereas education of the public on medical errors and the factors that typically 
        lead to medical errors empowers patients to be more effective partners 
        with health care providers in the battle against preventable injuries 
        from medical errors: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the week of March 7 through March 13, 2004, 
        as ``National Patient Safety Awareness Week''; and
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling upon the people of the United States to observe the 
        week with appropriate programs and activities.
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