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ACS Views on Legislative, Regulatory, and Other Issues
Patient Safety—
July 11, 2003
The Honorable Judd Gregg
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Gregg:
On behalf of the 65,000 Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, I am pleased to extend our support for the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2003. This legislation will create a new framework through which our nation's health care system can improve patient care.
Surgery has never lost sight of our fundamental responsibility to be the patient's quality care advocate and provider. Our vision for the future includes enhanced analysis of clinical data to help consumers and clinicians identify areas for improvement and utilize best practices. We must encourage physicians and other health professionals to report and evaluate medical errors within a safe learning environment. We believe that the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2003 will help us take an important step toward accomplishing this goal.
Sound health care policy promotes reporting systems that enhance the quality of patient care. A concrete example of surgery's commitment to this principle is the National Cancer Data Base. The College created this tool to help health care providers assess their institution's patterns of cancer care relative to other institutions and improve patient outcomes. The protections embodied within the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act will help this database and others like it to succeed.
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization founded to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient. Again, the College is pleased to endorse the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2003.
Sincerely,
Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS
Executive Director
cc: Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Revised January 27, 2005
ACS Views on Legislative, Regulatory, and Other Issues
Advocacy and Health Policy
This page and all contents are Copyright © 1996-2005
by the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL 60611-3211
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