Patient Safety from the Patient's Perspective

D. Nelson Gunter, MD, MPH, CPHQ Dr. Nelson Gunter is the Medical Director for The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME), the Quality Improvement Organizations for the state of South Carolina.  His medical degree was awarded from the Medical University of South Carolina, Internal Medicine Internship and Residency from Richland Memorial Hospital, Psychiatry Residency from William S. Hall Institute, Neurology Residency from the Medical College of Georgia and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina, School of Public Health.  Dr. Gunter is currently a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.  He was in private practice of Neurology from 1980-1994 until joining CCME.  D. Nelson Gunter Medical Director The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence 246 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 200 Columbia, South Carolina 29210 803.255.2215 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Jan S. Vick My name is Jan S. Vick.  I have been a hairdresser for twenty-four years and own and operate Hairstyles by Jan, located in Chesterfield, South Carolina. I have been happily married to Ted Vick for 37 years, with whom I have three wonderful children, Ted, Chad and Ashley.  I have always been very active in our church and community. On March 25, 2004, my whole life changed.  My twin-sister Ann S. Perdue, died from a medical error and negligence on the part of the hospital, her doctors, and her nurses.  Half of me died that day.  That is when the Lord led me on my journey as a “Patient Safety Advocate”.  I felt a tremendous burden to protect other patients and families from experiencing the “negligence” that we had encountered.  Jan S. Vick This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Helen W. Haskell   Helen Haskell is president of Mothers Against Medical Error, a South Carolina-based group dedicated to improving patient safety and providing support for patients who have experienced medical injury.  For Helen, patient safety is a calling to which she was brought by the death of her fifteen-year-old son Lewis, who died from failure to rescue in a South Carolina teaching hospital.  Following Lewis’s death, Helen helped create a coalition of South Carolina medical professionals and consumers to pass the Lewis Blackman Act, aimed at addressing the poor communication conditions that led to Lewis's death.  More recently, she was closely involved in the drafting of the 2006 South Carolina Hospital Infection Disclosure Act, and presently sits on the advisory committee for implementation of that law.  Nationally, Helen has worked on a number of initiatives involving such issues as medical education reform, rapid response teams, disclosure of medical error, and patient involvement in healthcare decision-making.   Helen is a World Health Organization Patient Safety Champion and has served on patient safety advisory panels for a number of national organizations. She regularly addresses national groups of medical professionals on the consumer perspective in patient safety.  Since Lewis’s death, she has collaborated with the Medical University of South Carolina on patient safety issues.  In 2007, the Medical University named the first Lewis Blackman Professor of Patient Safety and Simulation, an endowed chair funded by the state of South Carolina. Helen holds a BA in Classical Studies from Duke University, an MA in Anthropology from Rice University, and an M Phil in Museum Studies from the University of South Carolina.  Her earlier career as an archaeologist included research and fieldwork in the United States, Europe, the Near East, and Africa.  Helen W. Haskell 155 South Bull Street Columbia, South Carolina 29205 Tel/fax (803) 254-8804 Cell (803) 312-4390 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Karen Newton Karen Newton is the Director, Quality/Data Management for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her major responsibilities are to monitor JCAHO standards, CMS Conditions of APrticpation and state licensing laws to ensure compliance thoughout the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.  Karen then institutes action plans where needed and monitors results.  She received her Registered Nursing Diploma from St Anthony Hospital School of Nursing, Bachelor of Science, Health Arts and Masters of Health Administration from the University of St. Francis.  Karen is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and is a member of National Association of Healthcare Quality, Past President, South Carolina Chapter National Association of Healthcare Quality, and an active member of Healthcare Executives.  Karen Newton 122 Gregory Street Union, South Carolina 29379 864.560.8002 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it