CONTACT: Meredith Brodeur
(850) 645-1255

By Meredith Brodeur
June 2004

ORLANDO, Fla.- The Florida State University College of Medicine is drawing together more than 75 CEOs and senior executives of Florida’s hospitals to brief industry executives on the latest and most effective medical error prevention strategies.

Hospital executives from around the state will learn from national experts about the most cutting-edge methods for preventing medical errors and improving patient safety:

Friday, June 25
8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport

The forum, which is a joint effort with the Florida Hospital Association, follows recent Institute of Medicine reports indicating that by improving the health care system, unnecessary deaths and injuries can be prevented. Speakers will discuss substantive patient safety tools, techniques and strategies.

Among the featured speakers are:

• James Conway, executive vice president and COO of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Dr. James Bagian, director of the VA National Center for Patient Safety and former NASA astronaut who served as medical investigator for the Challenger and Columbia shuttle accidents
• Dr. Jacqueline F. Byers, associate professor of the University of Central Florida School of Nursing
• Nancy Foster, senior health policy advisor for the American Hospital Association
• Dr. Allan Frankel, director of patient safety, Partners Health Care System, and co-chair of patient safety and perioperative collaboratives at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
• Dr. Nir Menachemi, director of the FSU Center on Patient Safety.

Due to space limitations, the event is open only to the media and invited guests.