Today everything came full circle for me. The Mad as Hell Doctors had their DC Rally, a freshman Congressman from one of the Happiest Places On Earth stood up and said what everyone else was thinking, and Anthony Weiner stood firm and made it clear that there would be NO MORE Compromises. Yet, simultaneously in another political dimension, the Senate met to again discuss the many amendments to the healthcare reform legislation. Today Orin Hatch came up with an amendment that would create a safety net for taxpayers in federal laws that prohibit public funding of abortion. This was of particular interest to me as I shockingly learned several months ago that most insurance companies pay 100% for elective abortions, but pay either 80% or 60% for a birth. Most individual policies will require a rider if you want to have a baby, and most of the time, the baby is not covered long after he or she is born. Of course abortions are much cheaper then prenatal care, and delivery, so why wouldn't insurance companies choose to fund 100% of this procedure. The only problem is that the majority of those opposed to the public plan also value life, and one of the main reasons so many have shown up in droves to tea parties is the fear that the government would fund abortion. So today Orin Hatch of Utah, attempted to make sure that this never happened. Sadly, he was defeated. One may think that the blue dog democrats would have backed up such an issue, after all, they are so concerned about these things, aren't they? Yet, a bored Grassley, and an arrogant and overly confident Backus, along with others, voted against the amendment, citing that the present laws would continue to prohibit public funds from paying for abortion. How do they think that is possible when there will be a mandate forcing all Americans to contribute to the profiteering insurance industry that considers the birth of a baby a cost factor and encourages mothers to terminate their babies based on financial incentives? This mandate will be supported by a tax payer government subsidy that will "help" individuals and families pay for health insurance to companies who have been consistently encouraging abortion for decades. This is immoral, appalling and disgusting, and it is time that Americans open their eyes. While fighting tooth and nail against a public option, one where the taxpayer would be guaranteed that his or her money would not be used to abort the unborn, the same politicians are now attacking an amendment that would only do the same to all private corporations who would be offering care to those who might have chosen the public option if it were available. I am a pro choice pro life voter. I believe in strong education, birth control and choosing life. I believe that if all women were really educated about when life begins, given the facts and taught about the unintended consequence of abortion, many pregnancies would be avoided, and abortions would not be chosen as freely as they are today. For many years I supported the right pro life movement, but realized when the Pro Life Right had complete control of both houses and the white house, that the issue was nothing more then a political ploy. Some on the right, like Hatch, may be sincere, but blue dogs are nothing more then insincere hypocritical wolves who have deceived their constituents into believing that they are something that they are not. I hope and pray that this incident will help those who have been deceived for far to long to see things as they really are and understand that the key to prevention of abortion, is education, knowledge, birth control and free will. Only then will the slaughter of the innocent be reduced and will people understand the true sancity of life. I believe that with this knowledge, most will choose to protect life in responsible behavior and understanding of what it means to share ones body with another human being for nine months. Only then will the majority truly choose life.

For Teddy

For Teddy, we will miss you so much, you were a peacemaker, a bridge builder, a humble but courageous survivor. We will always love you. Many of us share your dream of healthcare for all. Tonight I would like to dedicate this song to Ted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c-XuIxFFk8

Real Face of Obama's Opposition

Here is a photo of the "true intent" of those who vocally oppose Obama's healthcare reforms. Attending an event solely as a bi partisan patient safety advocate, I was appalled and sickened by the contempt, yelling, spitting and disre...spect shown to those who support Obama's reforms. I would hope that all advocates take into consideration the magnitude of what this photo states as a picture says a thousand words.

LUCIAN LEAPE, M.D. RECEIVES 1st NIGHTINGALE & CODMAN PATIENT SAFETY DAY AWARD

Contacts:
Patient Safety Day Committee
Patti O’Regan, ARNP, Chairperson (727) 845-4250, pattioregan@gmail.com
Becky Martins, Awards Committee Secretary (207) 975-3475 voice4patients@aol.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - JULY 15, 2009

LUCIAN LEAPE, M.D. RECEIVES 1^st NIGHTINGALE & CODMAN PATIENT SAFETY DAY AWARD

LUCIAN LEAPE, M.D., Adjunct Professor of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health and pediatric surgeon has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Florence Nightingale and Dr. E. Codman Patient Safety Day Award. The award is being given in conjunction with this year's 9th annual Patient Safety Day and the 10^th year anniversary of the Institute of Medicine’s groundbreaking patient safety in America report to Congress.

Florence Nightingale was one of the first epidemiologists, statisticians, evidence-based practice and patient safety pioneers in nursing and healthcare. Dr. Codman followed with his stellar surgical career and hospital evidence-based “end results” theory and practice.

Nightingale and Codman represented the values, character and pioneering evidence-based translational practice that placed patient safety and quality outcomes above all else. In recognition of his pioneering research in patient safety and quality of care, Dr. Leape has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the award which honors those who represent the values and furtherance of the patient safety work of Nightingale and Codman.

Like Nightingale and Codman, Dr. Leape has devoted his professional career to learning about and understanding medical error epidemiology; how they occur and what must be done to improve patient safety. Dr. Leape is known to patient safety advocates as the father of the modern patient safety movement. He was a lead investigator of the Harvard Medical Practice Study (1991) and a member of the Institute of Medicine's Quality of Care in America Committee, which published the landmark 1999 "To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System" report that indicated up to 98,000 hospital patients die annually from medical errors. He published one of the first studies showing the application of systems theory to the prevention of medication errors. He is an outspoken advocate of full disclosure, transparency, and prompt apology when patients have been harmed by errors. Dr. Leape's patient safety service includes being a founding member of the National Patient Safety Foundation, the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Error, the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Session on Medical Error and the Lucian Leape Institute, a think tank, founded in 2007.

Patient Safety Day is held on July 25th annually. Patients, families, healthcare providers and consumer groups join together in a moment of silence and candlelight vigil at noon and 6:00 PM in memory of patients and families who have lost their life or quality of life due to medical errors - and in tribute to those who work to improve the quality and safety of healthcare for future patients. The event now
draws participants from more than 40 states and numerous countries.

For additional detail on the 9^th annual Patient Safety Day , please visit www.patientsafetyday.com.

PATIENT SAFETY DAY

National, World, Global Patient Safety Day

JULY 25th - CANDLELIGHT MOMENT OF SILENCE AND HOPE

Remembering patients and families who have lost their life (or quality of life) due to medical errors -

and in tribute to those who work to improve the safety and quality of healthcare for future patients.

"Together, lighting the path to safe healthcare - today and everyday:

safe, high quality healthcare is neither accidental nor static."

Time: Moment of Silence at Noon and 6 p.m. your timezone

2009 Inaugural Florence Nightingale and Dr. E. Codman Patient Safety Day Award recipient is Dr. Lucian Leape

Medical Safety

Today is the beginning of a new age for healthcare. The term "patient safety", created more then a decade ago, has brought with it small changes. The real issue is that patient safety does not get to the root cause of the problems surrounding preventable adverse outcomes in healthcare. Medical Safety clarifies this gigantic risk to the patient.