What is Patient Safety Awareness Week?
Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) is almost here! This year the event takes place March 13-19, 2022 and serves as a national education campaign for promoting patient safety practices.
The Military Health System (MHS) 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 PSAW and let us know how your facility is raising awareness, whether that's with celebration event photos, patient safety stories or something more.
PSAW Creative Activities Resource Guide
The activities provided in the 2022 PSAW Creative Activities Resource Guide are suggestions to help guide your PSAW celebrations from March 13-19.
Whether you use these as a guide or develop your own activities, have fun participating in PSAW! Discuss photography and article needs with the PAO well in advance of your event. Please tag all PAO-approved photos/articles shared on social media with #MHSPatientSafetyWeek or email to
dha.patientsafety@mail.mil. Also, please share the 2022 PSAW video.
Register for the Webinar Series
The DOD Patient Safety Program is hosting a series of webinars in March for Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) that feature the winners of the 2021 Advancement toward Ready Reliable Care High Reliability in Healthcare Awards across each of the four award disciplines – Leadership Commitment, Culture of Safety, Continuous Process Improvement, and Patient Centeredness. Webinars are available from March 15 to April 5, and feature presenters from around the world! Be sure to Register for the webinar series events.
Remember that all of the activities must meet the safe social distancing requirements.
Here are a few more ways to participate:
- Subscribe for email tips and announcements.
- Register for the webinar series events.
- Watch the video
- Download the PSAW Toolkit which includes customizable, ready-to-use material to promote PSAW at your facility.
How do I learn more?
Webinar Schedule and select one or more webinars to attend. Click here to REGISTER. Webinars are open to all MHS personnel.
To learn more about our programs and services, please visit the Patient Safety Program website or contact us by email.