“The most underutilized person to assist in patient care is the patient’s friends and family”                       Ilene Corina

​​​​​WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

​Patient Safety and the Community

For Medical Professionals and Community Members


Someone needs surgery, has been recently diagnosed with a life changing condition, has become frail and starts to lose time from work and begins to need medical attention.  Each of these changes doesn’t affect just the patient, but the whole family who cares for them and loves them.  It affects the employer who temporarily has to replace the worker involved who takes time off using Family Medical Leave.

It is crucial for loved ones to know how to help the patient get back on their feet fast, so they can all get back to work.  What help is the family offering?  There are hidden obstacles many people don’t know about, but that affect thousands.

Medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in this country, only behind cancer and heart disease.

  • According to the Centers for Disease Control 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI). There were an estimated 722,000 HAIs in U.S acute care hospitals in 2011.
  • Researchers estimate the number of patients suffering misdiagnosis-related, potentially preventable, significant permanent injury or death annually in the United States ranges from 80,000 to 160,000 per year.
  • According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies, there are more than 7,000 deaths a year due to medication errors.
  • The estimated cost of preventable medical errors to society $17.1 billion.


Patients, family members and friends can all help combat these hidden dangers in medical care – if they knew what to do. 


Since 1996 Ilene Corina has been sharing information with the public that she has learned from the medical professionals, programs and conferences she participates in throughout the country to help reduce injury and death. She turns the information into easy to understand workshops, lectures and curriculum that is interactive and appropriate for the group she is working with.

Her presentations are enlightening and interactive, while covering the specific areas of  patient safety  such as infection prevention, medication safety, health literacy and communication to name a few. 


​Families and friends of the patient can be trained in a classroom setting or at the bedside.


Professional advocates or patient support person can be trained in an 8-hour program.


Presentations available for medical professionals on how best to use the family at the bedside as a partner. Learn about working with people with disabilities, people who are transgender, and many other diverse populations for the best possible outcomes. Visit www.healthcareequality.org 

Contact:  Ilene Corina, President, Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy (516) 579-4711​ to put a program together that is best for you.

Professional Presentations

Some Places Ilene Has Been:


California
Canada
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Mississippi
Missouri
New York
Pennsylvania
Saudi Arabia
Tennessee
Washington 


 

Ilene also works with middle school, high school and college students.  As a youth advisor for ten years she is very comfortable around young people.  Ilene has spoken at senior living meetings, as a guest speaker in college classes for medical students, nursing students and advanced medical training.


Suggested programs Ilene has developed for the public are:

An Introduction to Patient Safety

Health Literacy or Communication?

HIPAA or Privacy?

Medication Dependency, Start Before the Prescription

Best Communication for the Right Care and Treatment

How Do You Choose Your Doctor, hospital or care team?


For the medical team:

Working with diverse, vulnerable populations

Developing a Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC)

Disclosure and Mediation

Communication for the Best Use of Your Time

The Patient's Role in Patient Safety

Dispelling the Myth of Being Transgender: The Elephant in the Room


All programs are developed with a team of patient safety experts and advisors. 

All programs can be developed for your needs and the needs of the people you serve.