tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87033241562038477442024-03-14T04:15:52.779-04:00Rants of a Patient Safety AdvocateThis blog represents my experiences and my opinion only - often at the bedside.
All posts are short enough for easy reading - therefore I couldn't possibly share all there is to share. This blog is snippets in the life of a patient safety advocate.
Now you can purchase my book of my favorite blog posts and great advocacy tips!
www.icorina.com. <br>
Thank you for visiting. <br>
Ilene Corina
Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.comBlogger377125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-79256829936466176972023-12-24T12:20:00.001-05:002023-12-24T12:20:07.915-05:00Patient Safety or Payment from a Lawsuit December 23, 2023The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Hochul,
I watched with interest the news that “Grieving families across New York are fighting
what they call an injustice”. The
decades old law that limits payouts in wrongful death lawsuits based on the
persons age and / or financial worth. https://Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-17827906864593549322023-11-22T17:18:00.000-05:002023-11-22T17:18:40.554-05:00I Didn't Tell My Children "No" Communication
Starts Early
Starting at
a young age and even before birth, we communicate with our children. Verbally or through facial expression, how we
communicate with others can trigger happiness, sadness, anger or
disappointment.
Babies know
when we are happy and they know when we are angry. Even my dog crawls away when I scold him as
if he knows I am disappointed or Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-67554344707484382982023-09-21T17:52:00.000-04:002023-09-21T17:52:09.139-04:00A Hospital Stay in 2023 A Hospital
StayWhile a close family
member was hospitalized for over a week,
I had the opportunity to remember how scary it is for the family (me)
and how vulnerable we become at the mercy of the team caring for the
patient. It would be easy to say
this hospital was wonderful. The nurses
were caring and helpful. They answered
questions and came when called. TheIlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-86665303113052302332023-08-09T19:48:00.001-04:002023-08-09T19:48:25.102-04:00Why DonateWhere Does Your Money Go When You Donate?Each year, all across the country, there are nonprofit
organizations looking for funding through donations, events, grants, or
sponsorships. Sometimes we know what
they do with the money, such as help pay for cancer research, feed the hungry
or build homes for the homeless.
Sometimes we are not sure where the money goes. The money Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-48014013499868311602023-04-06T16:32:00.001-04:002023-04-06T16:32:43.080-04:00The Union StoryUnionsMany people
know that I am now a full-time caregiver for my brother. This is not how I had planned for my later
years, but I am happy to be in his life and able to offer him the care and
services he needs.
I work for
an agency which pays me. I report my
hours to them and am trained by them. The
past few months, I have been called and emailed by healthcare workers unions. Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-17224871514582869992023-03-14T08:05:00.000-04:002023-03-14T08:05:47.489-04:00March 14th Means More Than a Day; Patient Safety Awareness Week Patient Safety Awareness Week, I Remember WhyEach year on March 14th I stop for a moment to remember
the death of my son who died because of the care he received (or did not
receive) by the healthcare system.
Bleeding for 5 days after a tonsillectomy, Michael died from blood loss
and a body full of infection. I believed all 5 doctors who said during that
week that he was fine. Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-3073836560912140612022-12-27T10:47:00.001-05:002022-12-28T18:57:56.578-05:00Emergency Room Risks Misdiagnosis a Proven Risk in Emergency Rooms
In case you missed it, a recent study reports that about 1
in 18 people are misdiagnosed in emergency rooms each year. The news
article states: “The researchers
estimate that 7.4 million misdiagnosis errors are made every year.”<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[i]
This was not, nor has it ever been,
front page news. Some may not Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-55771274106197326992022-09-16T16:52:00.000-04:002022-09-16T16:52:15.657-04:00How Far We Have Come? Or Not............. Two Days of Learning I just spent two days at the
Health Care Advocate Summit. I planned
to go to see what is happening in the world of patient/healthcare
advocacy. First, we should understand
the many different areas of advocacy.
There are advocates who work
for a healthcare institution, work for “big pharma” (pharmaceutical companies), who work
out of doctors’ offices Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-12997121879092646302022-08-20T06:22:00.003-04:002022-08-20T06:22:57.274-04:00Be Aware of Medication Errors Medication Error ExposedRecently I was with someone who picked up their medications
from the pharmacy, signed for the five medications and we left. In the car, my
passenger looked at the medications and there were six. One had a name, address, and phone number of someone
my passenger didn’t know.
At this major chain store pharmacy, a customer was given the
wrong medication and walkedIlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-72109719443924758772022-06-26T08:14:00.000-04:002022-06-26T08:14:15.816-04:00My Thoughts on Roe Vs Wade and Patient AdvocacyOne Advocates Opinion
Roe Vs Wade is getting plenty of
attention now that it has been overturned.
There are marches and demonstration and plenty of angry people and for
years there have been marches and demonstrations outside abortion clinics too. If you wonder if I have an opinion, I do, but
you won’t hear it from me. Let me
explain. It’s the work that I do that
keeps meIlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-22487978943831336022022-05-08T12:48:00.000-04:002022-05-08T12:48:40.988-04:00Don't Ignore the Life Saving Information in Small Print Articles We Can't IgnoreThere are many academic articles and newspaper
reports that we may read, say “wow” and then move on. Sometimes we won’t read them at all. But there lies the problem, one I have been
trying to address for 25 years.Here is a
perfect example. This article titled Candida
auris Rapidly Recontaminates Surfaces Around Patients’ Beds Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-84305764253383719102022-04-18T17:44:00.001-04:002022-04-18T17:44:47.925-04:00Actual Letter to a Medical PracticeCould This Letter Be Going to Your Medical Practice? (Names have been removed)Dear Office Manager,I am writing this letter with much
regret. As a professional patient
advocate, I have accompanied many people to their medical appointments and
hospitalizations. I have visited your
facility numerous times throughout the years with clients, family members and
for my own medical care.Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-24543510775543183492022-03-27T09:27:00.000-04:002022-03-27T09:27:28.942-04:00The Nurse Any Nurse USA
I rarely, if ever comment on a medical injury case (an
injury or death that is caused by the care received through the healthcare system). I understand that people who work in healthcare
are human, and mistakes are made. I also
understand the pain and suffering that goes along with the injury or loss of
losing someone to the same people you trust to help. Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-79402620133377472552022-03-12T09:04:00.000-05:002022-03-12T09:04:08.948-05:00March 14th Isn't Just Another DayMarch 14th; Why it MattersMarch 14th isn’t just another day for me. Many people have anniversaries and birthdays
worth remembering or celebrating. March 14th is a day I allow myself
to feel sorry for myself. But, as I have
learned over the years, it is often the build up to that day that causes more
anxiety, sadness or upset than the day itself.
Allowing myself time to be angry,Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-36931945763924570912021-12-30T18:14:00.000-05:002021-12-30T18:14:38.114-05:00Call Only If It’s an Emergency What's an Emergency?The news reports are telling us lately that
people are calling 911 when its not an emergency and tying up the emergency
response teams who are needed for “real” emergencies.
But what is an emergency?
Don’t assume people know this. It is part of the disconnect between
patient care and patient safety.
In 2010 I was accepted into the American Hospital
Association/NationalIlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-60167601191877880302021-10-27T22:34:00.003-04:002021-10-27T22:34:47.760-04:00Handwashing Saves LivesWhy Won't They
Wash?
I sat in the doctor’s
office in the chair while the patient sat on the paper covered table waiting
for the doctor. The doctor burst through the door in her usually
perky voice and said “Hi, how are you today”.
“Not happy” I told
her. She stopped, turned to me, and asked “why”?
“Because” I told her,
“No one here washes their hands”. &Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-58427328851590724002021-09-13T08:31:00.001-04:002021-09-13T13:41:49.245-04:00The Letter This is an actual letter sent to an urgent care facility. I believe that if we all sent letters that consisted of constructive comments to help improve care, maybe one day, these "little" issues will be improved enough so care will be improved.The letter unedited:This letter is being sent to share my recent experience at one of your urgent care facilities. It is intended to be informative and Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-1356292539711222782021-07-08T09:58:00.000-04:002021-07-08T09:58:24.869-04:00Mikey's BirthdayToday is My Son's BirthdayToday would
be my son’s birthday. If he were alive,
I’m guessing we would celebrate in some way.
Truthfully, I don’t miss him anymore and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I’m happy with my life. I have two perfect sons. Michael’s life, and death has given me a bigger
cause, so I think of him every day.
How many
people do we know who have Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-311726581306249622021-05-11T18:48:00.005-04:002021-05-11T18:48:56.294-04:00Another Patient Safety ConferenceA Patient Safety Conference; About Patients But Not For PatientsI sat on zoom for hours
today to attend a patient safety conference. A PATIENT safety
conference. The first one I went to was in 1999 when I heard healthcare
professionals share their stories of their own lost loved ones. Some,
over the years, have even shared with me in secret what they have gone
through. Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-77530786251913182252021-05-01T19:25:00.000-04:002021-05-01T19:25:13.052-04:00Are You to Blame When Errors Happen?Who's to Blame?I will be the first to
suggest that when an error in care occurs, the patient or their family should
start at the place that made the error, and suggest that they fix it. But if they
don’t share the incident any further, could that error be just hidden away,
only to happen again with someone else?
Following injury or
death from a medical treatment, many people will say they want Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-77923980218184932062021-04-03T19:32:00.000-04:002021-04-03T19:32:01.347-04:00So, You Think You are HelpfulYOU MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS HIS AS YOU THINK YOU ARENow that
there is a COVID-related policy in many hospitals and nursing homes that
families can’t be with their loved ones, I’m going to touch on a topic that may
make many people angry – but I expect that, deep down inside, many of you will
agree. Maybe, just maybe, you aren’t the
best person to support a loved one in the hospital.
It is Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-61430301623320234772021-02-06T23:00:00.001-05:002021-02-06T23:03:32.291-05:00She Had No Intention to Listen STOP YELLING AT MEA woman on
the phone asked if the class that was being offered would help her handle the terrible
treatment her husband received at the hospital recently. I wasn’t sure how to respond so I asked her
what she is looking for the class to address.
The Family Centered Patient Advocacy classes we are offering at Pulse Centerfor Patient Safety on three Thursday Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-57469178980821328742020-12-07T08:18:00.001-05:002020-12-07T08:18:51.278-05:00The Missing Link We Found the Missing LinkBy Ilene Corina, BCPA, President, Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & AdvocacyWhen my world became about patient safety thirty years ago, it wasn’t only because of my personal experience. It became important because, by talking to others, I heard of many other stories where medical care went wrong or mistakes were made, and though the patients or their Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-61000023683343191062020-11-22T20:10:00.000-05:002020-11-22T20:11:00.110-05:00Payoff For Wrongful Death, Will That Make it Better? Aftermath Explains It I just watched Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Aftermath. The movie is about a man who loses his family
in a terrible accident that killed 271 passengers on two planes. I’m not giving away anything that isn’t in
the trailer. A person is the cause of the accident. A terrible mistake. The devastated father and husband (Schwarzenegger)
seeks an apology and is Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8703324156203847744.post-88197388437372734912020-09-12T10:13:00.000-04:002020-11-22T20:11:39.886-05:00Bias and Discrimination - My ViewRacism, Bias
and Discrimination
I just
listened to a news program during which a Black man was interviewed saying that
he is sick of the rioting. He believes
there should be protests but violence is not appropriate. He understood the anger because he too has
been stopped and profiled numerous times by police. He knew he did nothing wrong but still he was
scared of what might Ilenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07343527685168271700noreply@blogger.com0