In September, Haytham Kaafarani, M.D., M.P.H., became Chief Patient Safety Officer at The Joint Commission. With more than 10 years of experience at Massachusetts General Hospital as a surgeon, intensivist and safety leader, he talked with Patient Safety Beat earlier this month about his work and the current state of patient safety.

“[as a young medical student] I wanted to learn how to prevent the next error from happening and gradually understood that every system delivers exactly the results it is designed to deliver and that creating safe systems and measuring safety are key to improving it. Today I am still as passionate about safety as I was during those early days." — Haytham Kaafarani, M.D.


Boston Medical Center and Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro find they are in good alignment with a new state law that directs acute care hospitals to have an operations plan for patients with dementia. They and other hospitals across the state have been improving care for older adults, including those with dementia and delirium, in recent years as the state’s population ages.

The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association and the Alzheimer’s Association offer an “operations roadmap” to help hospitals create comprehensive plans in accordance with the state’s new rules, which went into effect earlier this month.

October is Health Literacy Month, a time to remember the importance of clearly communicating health information to help keep patients safe. Below are some useful resources for health care provider organizations: 
Upcoming events
October 26 - 27
2022 PCORI Annual Meeting. A virtual event for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute community to learn about PCORI-funded results, join breakout sessions and network. Learn more
November 3
1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Annual Summit of the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care. A virtual event focused on strategies for incorporating patients’ needs into care delivery systems. Register here
Patient Safety Beat is published by the Betsy Lehman Center, a Massachusetts state agency that supports providers, patients and policymakers working together to advance the safety and quality of health care.