Massachusetts Patient Safety Grants Target Medical Liability

Massachusetts and several other states have been awarded $25 million in patient safety grants from the Department of Health and Human Services. The funds will be used to implement medical care reform and establish plans for reducing future errors.

The funding is part of a patient safety and medical liability initiative announced by President Barack Obama in September 2009.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health received funding to involve clinicians, patients, medical malpractice insurers and state officials in a discussion about medical errors and malpractice. The goal is to improve efficiency in all aspects of medical care and reduce medical errors resulting in severe personal injury and death.

The grants were awarded in two categories. Three-year awards of up to $3 million will allow states and health systems to implement and evaluate patient safety and medical liability demonstrations. One-year grants of up to $300,000 are for states and health systems to establish a plan for reviewing patient safety in the future.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said: “This new research is the largest government investment connecting medical liability to quality and aims to improve the overall quality of health care.”

The Boston medical malpractice lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck view this grant as a critical move in improving medical care. Each year, 195,000 people die as a result of preventable medical errors and even more sustain life-altering personal injuries.

The Massachusetts medical malpractice lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck have over 80 years combined experience. The Boston law firm specializes in handling complex medical malpractice lawsuits, including cases involving misdiagnosis, surgery errors and hospital medication errors. We serve individuals across Massachusetts, from Boston to Worcester to Cape Cod and Springfield.

If you suspect you may be the victim of medical malpractice, contact us today for a free consultation at (617) 723-7676.