BILL REQ. #:  H-0534.1 

Read first time 01/16/13.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to designating July 25th as patient safety day; and adding a new section to chapter 1.20 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 1.20 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that:
     (a) Everyone is entitled to safe and effective health care;
     (b) Our health care delivery system has a paramount duty to make patient safety a top priority;
     (c) Despite the best efforts of health care providers and facilities, preventable medical errors, prescription drug misuse, and other unintended consequences that negatively affect patients can occur;
     (d) Health care providers and facilities in Washington are committed to promoting patient safety and eliminating medical errors;
     (e) Common measures for reporting health care performance, along with patient education and engagement, are critical to Washington citizens making informed health choices; and
     (f) Washington state strives to promote the importance of patient safety in the delivery of quality health care.
     (2) It is therefore the legislature's intent to designate July 25th of each year as patient safety day in memory of patients who have suffered from preventable medical errors, to honor all people who strive to improve medical safety, and to raise the awareness of the paramount importance of patient safety.