University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) will join the World Health Organization’s World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) movement on September 17 to recognize patient safety issues as a global health priority. This year’s theme for WPSD is “Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety.”
Observing WPSD, UM UCH is highlighting the importance of keeping health care workers safe and promoting patient safety, two issues critically important especially during the time of the global COVID-19 pandemic. A significant focus during COVID-19 is encouraging and reminding individuals to wear a mask to protect everyone, including those who care for our sickest individuals. UM UCH, along with all University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) member organizations, will be promoting this effort across their campuses and social media properties on September 17.
“We are all in this together and are fully supportive of recognizing patient safety as a global health priority,” said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of UMMS. “As a System, nothing is more important than keeping our patients and employees safe. I have been impressed by how our System has truly come together as OneUMMS during our COVID-19 response, which has benefitted our patients and those in the communities we serve across the state.”
World Patient Safety Day was established by the 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019 with a goal of bringing together health workers, patients, families, caregivers, communities, health care leaders and policymakers to demonstrate commitment to health worker safety and patient safety. The overall objectives of World Patient Safety Day include enhancing the global understanding of patient safety, increasing public engagement in the safety of health care and promoting global actions to enhance patient safety and reduce patient harm. The origin of the day is firmly grounded in the fundamental principle of medicine – First, do no harm.
UMMS has a workforce of 28,000 employees and delivers approximately 25 percent of all hospital care in Maryland. UM UCH employs nearly 3,500 employees between its two hospitals, UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and UM Harford Memorial Hospital.
About University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health includes the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and the Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center on its Bel Air campus, the Klein Family Harford Crisis Center in Bel Air offering services for behavioral health and the Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill, an assisted living facility that specializes in hospice. The University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital has been operating in the community for over a century and is located in Havre de Grace. The leading
health care system and largest private employer in Harford County, UM Upper Chesapeake Health offers a broad range of health care services, specialty care, technology and facilities to the residents of northeastern Maryland.
