National Patient Safety Foundation Leads Patient S

BOSTON, Dec. 8, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patient Safety Awareness Week, a highlight of the United for Patient Safety Campaign , will be observed March 12-18, 2017. Led by the National Patient Safety Foundation, a central voice for patient safety since 1997, Patient Safety Awareness Week is time dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety among health care professionals and the public.

Patient Safety Awareness Week activities are detailed on the campaign website, UnitedforPatientSafety.org . Patients, families, and health care consumers who visit the site can pledge to be active members of their health care teams, share ideas or concerns about patient safety, and post their personal stories about how patient safety has impacted themselves or a loved one. Health care professionals, solutions providers, and industry partners are urged to take a pledge for patient safety, share their organization's plans for the week and engage in an ongoing discussion forum for idea-sharing and problem-solving in support of patient safety.

Visitors to the website can also download educational materials for health care professionals and the general public, and can participate in an awareness campaign by posting photos of themselves in hospital gowns to social media channels to illustrate that "we are all patients."

The United for Patient Safety campaign began in 2016 as a way to extend the message of Patient Safety Awareness Week and to instill the idea that "every day is patient safety day." "The campaign emphasizes that everyone participating in the health care system has a role to play in keeping patients safe and free from harm," said Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS, president and chief executive officer, NPSF. "Patient Safety Awareness Week is an important annual focus of the campaign and we hope to have record numbers of participants this year."

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals , a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, joins with NPSF this year as exclusive sponsor of Patient Safety Awareness Week 2017.

"Mallinckrodt is committed to the safety of patients in all settings. We are dedicated to providing safe and effective products to patients and take an active role in educating health care providers to support the safe use of our products," said Mallinckrodt Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Steven Romano, MD. "On behalf of thousands of Mallinckrodt employees around the world, we are pleased to be able to support Patient Safety Awareness Week to heighten understanding of this important issue that affects everyone in our communities."

NPSF welcomes the participation of other organizations and individuals who wish to promote the campaign and the week. For details, call David Coletta, senior vice president for strategic alliances, at 617-391-9908 or visit http://www.unitedforpatientsafety.org/campaign_partner .

About the National Patient Safety Foundation

The National Patient Safety Foundation's vision is to create a world where patients and those who care for them are free from harm. A central voice for patient safety since 1997, NPSF partners with patients and families, the health care community, and key stakeholders to advance patient safety and health care workforce safety and disseminate strategies to prevent harm. NPSF is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For information about the Foundation's programs, visit www.npsf.org and follow @theNPSF on Twitter.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41974

Patricia McTiernan 617-391-9922