I believe that if Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy (CPSEA) was around years ago when my son was bleeding to death from a tonsillectomy, he might still be alive today.  I would have called Pulse and spoken to someone who would have said I should trust my gut feeling that the information the doctors (all 5) and nurses (too many to count) were wrong when they said my son was “fine”.  I knew he wasn’t.  It wasn’t normal to bleed for days following his surgery.  His pale coloring wasn’t OK and 6 days after surgery he should have more energy.  The signs of infection were obvious but I didn’t know what to look for. 

Today, years later, after listening to thousands of patient stories, and understanding better the complexities of the healthcare system, at Pulse we do not give medical advice but we do offer suggestions because of the stories and experiences we have heard.   If you are not confident about the care you are getting or a loved one is getting, go with your gut feeling and question the care – studies have reported that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the country.  It is NOT the trial attorneys who have done these studies.  It is well funded and supported medical professionals and institutions.  Shouldn’t patients and their families have access to the same information?  If you agree, and want to help – we need you!

Contact Ilene Corina at 516-579-4711 or e-mail icorina@pulsecenterfrpatientsafety.org but most of all, check out our website at www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org