January 6, 2010

Contact: Winifred N. Tobin, (617) 232-0090 or wtobin@mitss.org

BOSTON – Medically Induced Trauma Support Services – a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring hope to patients, families, and clinicians who have been affected by an adverse medical event – has honored Colorado patient safety advocate Patty Skolnik.

Voting by an independent selection committee for the MITSS 2009 HOPE Award resulted in a tie so the prestigious award was presented to Ms. Skolnik and the University of Missouri Health System’s forYOU Team, which provides peer support to clinicians beginning immediately after critical events.  The award was presented at the MITSS annual dinner in Boston on Nov. 12.

Ms. Skolnik earned the award for founding Colorado Citizens for Accountability after the death of her son, Michael.  Colorado Citizens for Accountability has provided support and resources to thousands of people nationwide since 2005.

InSeptember, 2009 Colorado Citizens for Accountabilitychanged its name to Citizens for Patient Safety to reflect the organization’s growing range of services and scope.

When asked about the most important thing she has learned over the past four years, Ms. Skolnik replied, “You can suffer a great loss, but you have a choice as to how to handle it. Anger and grief has a place, but taking that and transforming it into a solution is the best healer and the best reward for everyone.”

Ms. Skolnik reflected on her vision for the future when she said, “Citizens for Patient Safety will continue to engage patients and providers to help them heal, to continue to pass legislation for transparency nationally, and to learn from errors so that they may be shared for educational purposes.”

“It was such an honor to receive the HOPE Award for the work I started because of the loss of my son,” Ms. Skolnik added. “Now to be able to work not only with patients but with medical professionals as partners to restore hope and help fix the system for others is what Michael would have wanted. I am humbled by this award.”

About MITSS:  Medically Induced Trauma Support Services (MITSS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Chestnut Hill, MA, whose mission is To Support Healing and Restore Hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by medical errors or adverse medical events.  Visit www.mitss.org.