Debbie Dingell: “in 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that as many as 98,000 people are estimated to die annually as a…”

“in 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that as many as 98,000 people are estimated to die annually as a result of medical errors. The IOM recommended several changes, including the creation of a patient safety reporting system that would allow health care service providers to report information about medical errors in a non-punitive environment. This information would be reviewed by a patient safety organization that would then help providers learn from their mistakes without fear of reprisal. The Committee has been working for many years on legislation to bring forward the building blocks of this system, and in the 108th Congress, we successfully passed bipartisan legislation in the House. Only this Congress, however, did we successfully reach a compromise with our colleagues in the Senate. I am pleased that today we will finally pass the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, with the expectation that it will be enacted into law. S. 544, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 3205, contains the same language as the House bill approved unanimously by the Committee on Energy and Commerce last week. The goal of H.R. 3205 is to set up an error reporting system for health care providers that brings real improvements in patient safety and the quality of health care. It will also help ensure accountability by raising standards and creating the expectation for continuous quality improvements in patient safety.…”