Monthly Archives: May 2015

National Hepatitis Testing Day is May 19th

May 18, 2015

Evelyn McKnight and Lauren Lollini

Lauren Lollini is a patient safety advocate who has been integral in changing laws to keep patients safe as well as a member of the Drug Diversion Prevention Committee.

Lauren Lollini is a patient safety advocate who has been integral in changing laws to keep patients safe as well as a member of the Drug Diversion Prevention Committee.


May is National Hepatitis Awareness month and this year the CDC is designating May 19th as National Hepatitis testing day. This is an excellent reminder for the healthcare community and others to get tested.

Not me, you say? Let me tell you why ignoring this might be a deadly mistake. According to the CDC over 4 million people in the US have chronic hepatitis C and most have no idea. Many of our baby boomers are infected and because they show no symptoms, they are clueless to the infection and the damage it is doing to their bodies. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/TestingDay/index.htm
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HIV Outbreak in Southeastern Indiana; What’s Next?

May 11, 2015

Evelyn McKnight and Lauren Lollini

Lauren Lollini is a patient safety advocate who has been integral in changing laws to keep patients safe as well as a member of the Drug Diversion Prevention Committee.

Lauren Lollini is a patient safety advocate who has been integral in changing laws to keep patients safe as well as a member of the Drug Diversion Prevention Committee.

On March 26th, Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, declared a public health emergency. It appeared, as of that date, 81 people had tested positive for HIV. All appeared to be linked to injection drug use. Without the executive order issued, the additional resources and services to curb the outbreak would not have been possible.

It is a growing issue in rural communities, drug abuse. Often due to the unemployment and underemployment rates, the socio-economic make up of a rural community and the lack of drug abuse counseling and other resources, the problem breeds like a bad infection. In this case, that infection is HIV.
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On Advocacy: Commentary by Sajna Kajtazovic of Nebraska Methodist College

May 4, 2015

Evelyn McKnight and Lauren Lollini

Sajna
Being a patient safety advocate means to care about the safety and health of the patient. When a patient reveals that an unsafe health practice happened, lots of drama ensues, just like in A Never Event. The patient safety advocate is the person that needs to be there for the patient to support them through anything they need. A patient needs to know that there is someone in their corner who believes them unconditionally and will be their voice if they don’t have one. read more »