Actress Gets Opportunity Speak
Out For Hospital Rights – Will They Listen?
Sherman Oaks,
California (June, 2008) Actress and Patient Safety Advocate, Alicia
Cole will be bringing her awareness campaign to Sacramento as two
important hospital infection bills are making their way through the
California legislature. Senate Bill 158 sponsored by Sen. Dean Florez
and SB 1058 sponsored by Sen. Elaine Alquist.
Cole, who is the
survivor of a near fatal case of hospital acquired Necrotizing
Fasciitis and Sepsis following a routine procedure is slated to
address the Assembly Health Committee during a June 24th
hearing.
The CDC
estimates that approximately 100,000 patients die each year from
hospital infections they receive while being treated for something
else. In the State of California, the Public Health department
recorded 240,000 hospital acquired infections last year at a cost of
over 3.1 billion dollars to the state. This is the awareness that
Cole wants to bring to light.
Cole’s plight
began on Aug. 15, 2006 after entering a top-rated San Francisco Valley
hospital for a routine procedure. “I could never have dreamed that my
two-day hospital stay would turn into two months and nearly cost me my
life,” says Cole. Necrotizing Fasciitis (also known as flesh-eating
disease) is a bacterial infection that
rapidly breaks down soft tissue and fascia surrounding the muscles. It
can cause death in as little as 12 to 24 hours. In order to
contract the bacteria, it needs to be introduced into the body, which
can often occur through complications from surgery or infections from
hospitals.
Cole now
advocates nationally for better infection prevention safety standards
and requiring hospitals to make public their infection and death
rates. “Consumers have a right to know if there is an infection
problem at their hospital. When we choose a restaurant it is not just
based on reputation, but by the letter grade for cleanliness in the
window. We should be able to make the same informed decisions about
our healthcare.”
Both SB158 and
SB1058 would require public reporting of hospital acquired infection
rates, as well as, screening for the ‘superbug’ MRSA and improved
hospital cleaning practices. California currently lags behind 22
other states which have laws requiring public reporting.
Cole, who is
still healing and undergoing daily hyperbaric oxygen treatments, is
urging fellow survivors and family members of victims to contact their
legislators and ask them to support these bills.
“We are so close
to making a difference and saving lives,” says Cole. “We owe it to
those who did not survive to do better.”
Go to
www.aliciacole.com for more information. Alicia Cole can be
contacted at
mizcole2@aol.com. You can make a difference. Email Cole and
she’ll show you how.
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