What is Patient Safety Awareness Week?
Patient Safety Awareness Week is almost here! The next event takes place March 10-16 and serves as a national education campaign for promoting patient safety practices.
The Military Health System focuses on providing quality care for patients while keeping them safe and free from harm. We recognize health care professionals, non-clinical staff, patients and families all have a role to play in health care safety.
Who participates in Patient Safety Awareness Week?
The MHS has no higher priority than the safety of our patients. Our commitment to Ready Reliable Care sustains a culture of safety at every hospital, clinic, or other point of care across the MHS. The MHS has been engaged in the PSAW campaign for many years. Hospitals, clinics, and health care organizations across the country plan events to draw awareness of patient safety within their own organizations as part of a journey towards safe care and zero harm. Each year, military hospitals and clinics host events, like hygiene education and simulation training exercises.
Please join the MHS in recognizing PSAW and let us know how your facility is raising awareness, whether that's with celebration event photos, patient safety stories, or something more. The PSAW toolkit contains customizable, ready-to-use materials to promote consistent messaging on key topics and issues, as well as enterprise messages and ready to-use tactics, including talking points, social media posts, and graphics for each of these topics and more. Please visit the Patient Safety Learning Center to access the toolkit along with additional resources including the Creative Activities Resource Guide which contains suggestions to help guide your facility in celebrating PSAW. Whether you use these resources as a guide or develop your own activities, have fun participating in PSAW! Be sure to discuss video, photography, and article needs with your facility's PAO well in advance of your event. Please tag all PAO-approved videos, photos, and articles shared on social media with #PSAW2024 and #MHSPatientSafetyWeek or email to DHA.patientsafety@health.mil.
For more information, reach out to the Patient Safety Program team.