IRVINE, CALIF.-- September 01, 2021 -- The second annual #UniteForSafeCare event is scheduled for Friday, September 17th in conjunction with World Patient Safety Day. The event is hosted by the Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) and co-convened with The Leapfrog Group to bring global awareness to the lack of safety in healthcare and the fact that more than three million people die each year as the result of unsafe care. The event will explore how the public and other stakeholders can call for high reliability in healthcare, as well as the World Health Organization’s 2021 theme of “safe maternal and newborn care.”

As part of this year’s event, leadership from the Patient Safety Movement Foundation will coordinate demonstrations on both the east and west coasts in honor of World Patient Safety Day. Patient Safety Movement Foundation CEO Dr. David B. Mayer will continue his walk which began in February 2020 to raise awareness of patient and healthcare worker safety. Since starting, he has covered over 3,400 miles and been joined by families impacted by patient harm in over 30 states. This year’s walk will begin on September 11th on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks to honor the lives lost and impacted, and will start in Gettysburg, Penn. Gettysburg was chosen as the starting point due to its strong visual representation of lives lost during the American Civil War drawing parallel to the lives lost each day due to unsafe care. The walk will finish in front of the White House in a call for action before continuing on to Capitol Hill.

“Over 8,220 people die every day in hospitals worldwide from unsafe care - that’s six people every minute - and the pandemic is making the delivery of safe care even harder,” stated Mayer. “This annual event allows us to bring the community and stakeholders together to raise awareness of this issue and advocate for change to make zero preventable deaths a reality.”

Here are the ways you can get involved this year:

· Attend the free virtual event: The virtual event will occur from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. PDT on Friday, September 17th. At the event, attendees will have the chance to hear from Patient Safety Movement Foundation leadership, as well as over 20 speakers including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, director-general of the World Health Organization. Dariush Eghbali, an Iranian artist and humanitarian, will be performing and attendees will have the opportunity to network and access exhibitor booths. In addition, there will be a panel with the showrunner and cast of Peacock’s TV series “Dr. Death” followed by a segment to memorialize the patients we’ve lost due to preventable harm. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on items up for auction - including a private screening and Q&A session with the filmmaker of HBO’s “Bleed Out,” as well as a conversation with Patrick Macmanus, the showrunner of “Dr. Death.” All proceeds of the auction support awareness and education initiatives. To see the full schedule and RSVP, visit: https://patient.sm/B15-UFSC.
· Host your own walk: Download the Charity Miles app and walk on your own or invite your coworkers and community to dedicate a walk, run, bike or any movement to show your support for the cause.
· Make a donation: Donations help fund awareness and education campaigns throughout the year. Individuals can make donations in honor of loved ones who have been affected by preventable medical harm. PSMF will plant an orange flag in Orange County or Washington D.C. for any donation of $10 or more. To help PSMF reach its goal of $250,000, visit: https://patient.sm/PR-UFSC-Donate.
· Share on social: Spread the word and help advocate for safer care by increasing awareness on social media. Use the hashtag #uniteforsafecare or translate it into any language to keep the conversation going globally.
· Send in your art: New this year, a virtual patient, family and survivor art gallery is available for individuals to share personal expressions of the emotions they felt as they navigated experiences with medical errors - whether it ended in tragedy or in joy. The art will be displayed along with a place to share the meaning behind the piece. To view the art or submit your own piece, visit: https://patient.sm/B15-Artwork.
· Wear and “light up” orange: Show your support by wearing orange, the official World Patient Safety Day color, or lighting up your house, a local monument or business orange. Share your photos on social media between September 13th and September 17th. You can also purchase official campaign t-shirts and hats: https://patient.sm/B15-Shop.

This year’s event is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Dr. Steven J. Barker, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, HealthySimulation.com, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Josie King Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Liamar Healthcare, Medstar Health Institute for Quality and Safety and Teletracking. To learn more about #UniteForSafeCare, visit: https://patientsafetymovement.org/unite-for-safe-care/home/.

About the Patient Safety Movement Foundation: Each year, more than 200,000 people die in U.S. hospitals and more than three million globally as a result of unsafe care. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) is a global non-profit with a vision to eliminate preventable patient harm and death across the globe by 2030. PSMF unites patients, advocates, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers and private payers in support of this cause. From its Actionable Patient Safety Solutions and industry Open Data Pledge to its World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit and more, PSMF won’t stop fighting until it achieves zero. For more information, please visit patientsafetymovement.org, and follow PSMF on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.