To Be Held in Conjunction with Inaugural Gala

November 14, 2007 – The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation today announced that it will hold its first Roundtable meeting and Inaugural Gala February 7-8, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts.  The Institute, established by NPSF in May 2007, is a think tank charged with defining strategic paths and calls to action for the field of patient safety.  Its goal is to provide vision and context for the many safety-related efforts already underway within the healthcare system and to call for system-level changes necessary to accelerate the work.  Its founding Members include Dr. Leape, Dr. David Lawrence, Julie Morath, Dr. Donald Berwick, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Jim Conway and Dr. Dennis O’Leary, all of whom are renowned leaders in the patient safety field.

The work of the Institute will be conducted through semi-annual Roundtables on topics critical to the advancement of patient safety.  Topic-specific experts will be invited into the process and Roundtable proceedings will call for new thinking and policy direction on the issues being addressed.  The Institute’s first Roundtable will focus on the development of a report to be issued in the spring entitled Transforming Patient Safety: A Conversation.  The final report will be presented at NPSF’s annual Congress in May and will outline the work to be done by the Institute in their subsequent Roundtables. “Improving patient safety is the singular goal of the Institute and of NPSF,” said Diane C. Pinakiewicz, MBA, NPSF and Institute President, who also noted,” The initial Roundtable will set the pace for the critical work that lies ahead.”

To celebrate the establishment of the Institute and the beginning of its work, the Institute will host its Inaugural Gala on the evening of February 8, following the conclusion of the first Roundtable.  Preceding the Gala, the Founding Members will facilitate five separate Open Discussions and invite Gala attendees to share their perspectives and provide their input to the work.  The five areas of discussion will be Health Professions Education; Consumer Involvement; Integrating Healthcare Organizations; Transparency; and Joy and Meaning in Work.  Details on each session will be available at www.npsf.org/lli.

The Institute has marshaled the resources of corporate leaders eager to support progress in the field and advance the work of those committed to furthering patient safety, by underwriting this premier event.  Industry Leadership Sponsors, Hospira and McKesson, have already pledged support.  Individuals attending the Gala will be automatically enrolled as participants in the Open Discussions should they choose to participate.

The Roundtable, Open Discussions, and Inaugural Gala will be held at The Westin Copley Place Hotel in Boston.  With an anticipated attendance of more than 500, the Gala will host a veritable Who’s Who in the field of patient safety.  Dr. Lucian Leape has been a driving force in the field for decades.  Paul Gluck, MD, Chair, NPSF Board of Directors and Gala host, confirmed the excitement surrounding the event, “The Institute bearing Lucian’s name is a tribute to his lifetime accomplishments and work.  The Gala will be the seminal event to launch this new initiative and bring patient safety to
the next level.”

For more information about the Lucian Leape Institute at NPSF call 413-663-2020 or visit www.npsf.org/lli. To discuss sponsorship opportunities for the Gala or for ticket sale information, please call Barbara Connell at 630-846-8202.

 

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE AND NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY FOUNDATIONThe Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation was founded in May 2007 to provide strategic direction for the field of patient safety. Through its Roundtable process, the Institute will provide vision and context for the many efforts already underway within the healthcare field and to call for large-scale changes necessary to accelerate the patient safety work. The Lucian Leape Institute is a program of The National Patient Safety Foundation®, an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been pursuing one mission – improving the safety of patients – since its founding in 1997.