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ETV Airs Month-Long Series Exploring the Quality of Health Care in the U.S. with "Remaking American Medicine"

Series Includes Local Production Encouraging Consumer Action

For Immediate Release
September 29, 2006

Columbia, SC... With as many as 98,000 Americans dying each year in hospitals due to preventable medical errors, there is no denying that a crisis exists in our health care system today. But what is causing these errors and what measures can we take to help lower this staggering number?

On Sunday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m., ETV begins a four-part series that looks at the crisis in quality care in the medical industry. Each hour-long program examines critical health care issues facing Americans including patient safety, medical and medication errors, hospital-acquired infections, and effective management of chronic disease. However, rather than simply pointing fingers, Remaking American Medicine… Health Care for the 21st Century shows the innovative solutions being undertaken by providers, patients and their families to transform the care given by the institutions we all depend on.

Episodes in the series include (click on the title for a description):

• Silent Killer - Sunday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.
• First Do No Harm - Sunday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m.
• The Stealth Epidemic - Sunday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.
• Hand in Hand - Sunday, October 29 at 6 p.m.

Hand in Hand hits close to home when it profiles the Medical College of Georgia Health System in Augusta, GA. It is here that patients and family members have actually had a voice in the very planning and design of some of the hospital’s care units. Through monthly meetings, former and current patients continue to act as advisors and discuss changes they would like to see take place. This unique arrangement has transformed the institution into a nationally recognized facility.

In addition to the national series, ETV has produced a companion program, Countdown to Better Care, which focuses on the top 10 actions consumers can take to head off a medical mistake before it happens. To help with the production, ETV partnered with health and medical associations across the state to form the SC Coalition for Remaking American Medicine. Together, the coalition formulated these important tips that citizens can take to protect themselves. This special half-hour program airs on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m., with an encore presentation on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. (read the tips here)

Members of the coalition include Clemson University Cooperative Extension, SC Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging, The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, SC Medical Association, SC Hospital Association, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, SC Department of Health and Human Services, The Medically Fragile Children’s Program, AARP-SC, as well as medical schools and other partner organizations.

For more information about the series, please visit www.myetv.org/ram.

South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.

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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.