"Patient Safety." It’s a phrase that was rarely heard 10 years ago. Now, ensuring patient safety is one of the most vital — and challenging — jobs in health care.

To meet this challenge and to comply with standards established by The Joint Commission and other agencies, hospitals and other health care organizations identify a Patient Safety Officer to oversee the strategy for keeping patients safe.

While these individuals usually have extensive clinical, quality, or risk management experience, they are often underprepared to effectively meet the daunting challenges of their new role and do not have ready access to the knowledge or tools needed to make the patient safety position robust and successful.

  Listen to an informational call with Terri Simmonds and Allan Frankel of IHI, and Lillian Morris and David Seidler of Charleston Area Medical Center.