FORT LEE, Va. (March 17, 2016) -- "United for Patient Safety, Every Day is Patient Safety Day," is this year's theme for Patient Safety Awareness Week. The campaign is being observed through March 19 at Kenner Army Health Clinic. It is led by the National Patient Safety Foundation, which fosters education and awareness about care facility practices that promote safety.

The theme highlights and reinforces that everyone within the health care system has a role to play in keeping patients safe and free from harm.

Each year has a distinct theme to allow participants to address a particular issue in-depth. Organizations or individuals seeking to promote patient safety in their communities can use NPSF tools, resources and informational materials to promote patient safety.

Patient safety steps taken during visits to health care providers at KAHC include: staff members asking for a beneficiary's name and date of birth to help to ensure he or she is going to the right appointment, they are receiving the right medications and the right lab test is being drawn on the right patient.

Universal Protocol is a process to make sure the right procedure is being performed on the right patient in the right location or site and on the right side of the body to prevent wrong site, wrong surgery errors.

Patients play an important role in their health care by providing a current list of medications to include non-prescriptions such as vitamins and supplements they are taking. An updated medication list helps the provider make sure any new medications prescribed will not interact with what the patient is currently taking.

During medical visits, it's important to ask questions to providers to encourage good communication and dialog. This helps beneficiaries become more knowledgeable about their health.

KAHC annually participates in this awareness event by providing educational materials for patients and staff. A display of patient safety education information including pamphlets with many tips of all types is available in the pharmacy lobby today and tomorrow.

Good hand hygiene also is related to patient safety to prevent the spread of infections. Hand sanitizers, medication cards and "Ask 3" materials related to good questions to ask providers are available as well.

United for Patient Safety is an ongoing education and engagement campaign that works to bring together diverse organizations with a commitment to patient safety and the general public to learn more about the topic, start important dialog, and take actions for improved safety conditions.

NPSF began as an idea in 1996. The plan was to form a foundation as a "collaborative initiative involving all members of the health care community aimed at stimulating leadership, fostering awareness, and enhancing patient safety knowledge creation, dissemination and implementation." It has a history of acting as a central voice for the advancement of patient safety in the U.S. and worldwide.

Visit www.npsf.org for more patient safety information.