Alberta Health Services recognizes Canadian Patient Safety Week Sept 29. to Oct. 4
September 26, 2008
EDMONTON, AB - Sept. 29 to Oct. 4 is annual Canadian Patient Safety Week, an initiative that Alberta Health Services supports. This year's focus is on medication reconciliation and the theme is Knowledge is the Best Medicine: Ask. Talk. Listen.
Safe medication care begins with patients giving their nurse, doctor or pharmacist an accurate medication list. Keeping an up-to-date medication list in your purse or wallet at all times is the best way to provide your health care provider with complete and accurate medication information upon their request.
Some activities occurring across the province to draw attention to this week include public information kiosks, distribution of resource materials and health care provider training sessions.
Alberta Health Services is committed to patient safety while building a seamless and accessible patient-focused system. Coordinating service delivery and standards at a provincial level across the care continuum will aid in the delivery of safe, high quality care throughout Alberta.
"A patient-focused system has patient safety as its foundation," says Alberta Health Services Board Chair Ken Hughes. "Albertans want to be able to access the right services at the right time and those services need to be provided in a manner that is safe for the patient and the health care provider."
As Alberta Health Services moves forward with a provincial service delivery model, significant efforts to improve patient safety will continue to be an important consideration of all decisions related to patient care.
For information about medication safety and patient safety please call Health Link Alberta in the Edmonton area at 780-408-LINK (5465), in the Calgary area at 403-943-LINK or, outside the local calling area, toll free 1-866-408-LINK.
Alberta Health Services is an organization of 85,000 employees which is responsible for delivering health care services to more than three million Albertans across the province.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Tara Grindle
Communications Co-ordinator
Alberta Health Services - Chinook Health
403-388-6533
Leah Prestayko
Communications Consultant
Alberta Health Services - Palliser Health Region
403-502-8648 ext. 1473
Carly Woolsey
Communications Advisor
Alberta Health Services - Calgary Health Region
403-943-4647
Elaine McFadden
VP, Corporate Communications and Public Relations
Alberta Health Services - David Thompson Health Region
403-341-8622
Shelley Rattray
Director Communications
Alberta Health Services - East Central Health
780-608-8804
Helen Wu
Public Affairs
Alberta Health Services - Capital Health
780-482-8628
Scott Donaldson
Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations
Alberta Health Services - Aspen Health Region
780-349-5716 ext. 228
Scott Seymour
Communications Officer
Alberta Health Services - Peace Country Health
780-830-3537
Stephanie Hackett
Senior Public Affairs Advisor
Alberta Health Services - Northern Lights Health Region
780-788-1758
