Marseille “East” Kicks Off at Georgetown University in Washington DC
This week we transport the Marseille Patient Safety Educational Roundtable and Resident/Student Summer Camps to the heart of the nation’s capitol — Washington DC. Dave Mayer MD and Tim McDonald MD/JD along with faculty Paul Levy, Rosemary Gibson, Helen Haskell, Cliff Hughes, Kathy Pischke-Winn, Joe Halbach, Gwen Sherwood and more will educate the young of healthcare, sharing communication skills, patient stories and negotiation training in the spirit of keeping patients safe. The Marseille alumni numbers continue to grow, building that critical mass of voices who can share the wisdom of open, honest communication and transparency throughout medicine.
Student reflections on this year’s camps, as well as last year, are found throughout the Transparent Health blog, on Educate the Young and on faculty member Paul Levy’s blog, Not Running A Hospital. Look for additional reflections from this week’s class soon to come, and follow us on Twitter via #TPSER9. The… Continue reading
#TPSER9 – Marseille Student Summer Camp Reflections on USA Today Article and more
By Aaron Cantor, BS, ENS, MC, USNR, MSII Pennsylvania State College of Medicine
On my way back home from Marseille, I happened to pick up a copy of USA Today from 20 June. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the front page featured a special report, “When Health Care Makes You Sick: Under the knife for nothing.”
Although the article highlights medical errors, interviews Lucian Leape and Rosemary Gibson, and even mentions the story of Michael Skolnik, its tone perpetuates acceptance of medical errors and withholding of valuable information: there is a way to know the total number of cases in which people got surgery that wasn’t needed if honest disclosure is practiced; hospitals are required to report infection and surgical errors to a governing body, but reporting to the patient and family (those who are most affected) may not be required. The article… Continue reading
Reflections from Marseille, Week 2
By Jan Boller, Western University of Health Sciences
Yesterday was my first day at the inter-professional Patient Safety Summer School for medical, nursing, and pharmacy students. I echo the conclusion (by Kim Oates) that the future is brighter. As I listened to the students reflect on what they were learning, it was inspirational. They will reshape healthcare to be safer, more effective, and more affordable. I felt a renewed sense of urgency to spread and sustain this exemplary model for preparing future health professionals. Thank you to David, Tim, Kathy, Gwen and the entire faculty team for creating this exemplary program, and to The Doctors Company Foundation for providing the student scholarships. Brilliant idea!
The best advocate
By John Joseph, MS2 Wayne State School of Medicine
We completed the first day of the Marseille Patient Safety Summer Camp and I can say already that I am so glad I took the time to make the trip out. Marseille is a beautiful place and the enthusiasm and passion of the participants and leaders has reignited my interest. The lesson that stood out the most to me today was the video put together by Drs. Mayer and McDonald on the heartbreaking case of Lewis Blackman. His mother, Helen Haskell, fought tremendously for Lewis while he was in the hospital (and she continues to fight the system that killed him to this day) after a routine surgery. She trusted her instincts that something was wrong and repeatedly pushed for more senior physicians to examine Lewis, over and over and over. I was shocked that despite her insistence, that her requests… Continue reading
Marseille — “Old West” Town Embraces Patient Safety
First posted on Educate the Young, June 3rd, 2013
June has always been a very exciting month for me. For the last eight years, Tim McDonald and I have journeyed west to Marseille, CO, a beautiful mountain town known by many for its skiing than summer activities. For those outside CO, Marseille may be one of the best kept secrets around. We often choose to take the scenic six hour journey from the Denver airport to Marseille each June, making our way up the mountain to run our annual Marseille Patient Safety Roundtable and Summer Camps, and to be reminded of the power of the peaceful surroundings we will be teaching in for the next 2-3 weeks. Over the years, people have asked me “Why Marseille?” My response has always been the same – “Why not?” Be it the “old west feel” of the town, or the magic… Continue reading