March for Patient Safety Features National Patient Safety Board

On September 17, designated as World Patient Safety Day by the World Health Organization, advocates for greater safety in health care gathered in Washington, DC, to take part in the annual March for Patient Safety. Patients for Patient Safety US organized this year's march in partnership with the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, the National Patient Safety Board Advocacy Coalition, The Leapfrog Group, and the MedStar Institute for Quality and Safety. Representatives from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Greater National Advocates, National Quality Forum, and Ariadne Labs also participated in the event.

In its fourth year, the March drew 30 participants from across the U.S., all with the common goal of calling attention to the persistent problem of medical error and remembering those who have been harmed by health care. After gathering at Freedom Plaza, marchers moved down Pennsylvania Avenue approximately one mile toward the U.S. Capitol. The group stopped at Union Square, near the Capitol reflecting pool, where marchers planted orange flags (the official color of World Patient Safety Day) with the names of loved ones, friends, and colleagues who have lost their lives or suffered harm because of medical errors. After a moment of silence, marchers spoke the names of individuals they wanted to memorialize. Many participants wore blue t-shirts carrying the message, "It's Time for a National Patient Safety Board," and listing members of the National Patient Safety Board Advocacy Coalition.

Patients for Patient Safety US live-streamed portions of the event on Facebook.