|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 12,2008 CONTACT: DOUG WOJCIESZAK, 618-559-8168 SUSAN MOORE 850-893-8936
Tallahassee, Florida...The Florida Patient Safety Corporation (FPSC), created by the 2004 Florida Legislature and whose Board of Directors includes the Florida Hospital Association, the Florida Medical Association, insurers and other key medical organizations in the Sunshine State, has formally endorsed Sorry Works! as a positive way to address medical errors. It will encourage hospitals, insurers, and physicians to learn about Sorry Works! and study implementing apology and disclosure programs for medical errors.
"This is a huge step forward for the disclosure movement. For too long, the State of Florida has been a battle ground between doctors, lawyers, and insurers in the medical malpractice crisis. Now Floridians can turn away from fighting and politics to the common ground that Sorry Works! offers: Fewer lawsuits and lower litigation costs for doctors, hospitals, and insurers, swift and fair justice for patients, families and their attorneys with no constitutional limits, and higher quality healthcare which benefits everyone," said Doug Wojcieszak, Sorry Works! Founder.
In a board meeting last week, the FPSC formally endorsed the Sorry Works! protocol of disclosure and apology following adverse medical events. In short, Sorry Works! advocates a three-step process of disclosure to patients and families after a potential medical error: Step 1: Empathy; Step 2: Investigation; Step 3: Resolution. This simple yet effective process has been shown to reduce medical malpractice lawsuits. FPSC and Sorry Works! will now begin working together to educate Florida providers, hospitals and insurers on Sorry Works! "We were pleased to formally endorse Sorry Works! and are excited to be working with the Coalition to educate the Florida healthcare community about disclosure and apology." said Susan Moore, FPSC CEO. "We've been looking for alternatives to the medical malpractice crisis, and by encouraging honesty and candor Sorry Works! is able to give patients, families, and doctors the closure and healing they need without heading off to court."
Some Florida hospitals are already disclosure success stories: Shands Hospital last fall publicly apologized for delivering a fatal overdose to a toddler; and more recently Tampa Bay General publicly apologized for and disclosed a wrong site surgery. Nationally, major hospital organizations such as the University of Michigan Hospital System have seen a dramatic reduction in litigation and associated costs with honesty and disclosure.
"Florida is fertile ground for Sorry Works! We look forward to working with FPSC and providers, hospitals, and across the state to make apology and disclosure the norm after adverse medical events. Sorry Works! is the solution to reducing medical malpractice lawsuits while improving patient safety," concluded Wojcieszak.
The Sorry Works! Coalition is the nation's leading advocacy organization for disclosure and apology after adverse medical events. The group and its movement have been featured in countless major news and specialty publications, including Time Magazine, New York Times, American Medical Association News, and American Law Journal. Over 3,000 providers, hospitals, and insurers nationwide are members of the Sorry Works! Coalition and the group's weekly e-newsletter is read by over 10,000 medical and insurance professionals.
To learn more about Sorry Works!, the Sorry Works! Book - the how- to manual on disclosure and apology - is avaialble for just $21.95 per copy and can be ordered at this link: Sorry Works! Book
|
|
|
