PFPS US sets 2026 patient safety webinar for Sept. 17

Patients for Patient Safety US will host a World Patient Safety Day webinar on Sept. 17, 2026, bringing together patient safety leaders, clinicians and policymakers to push for stronger diagnostic safety, transparency and age-friendly care. The event is designed to elevate patient priorities as health systems mark the WHO day focused this year on safe care for noncommunicable diseases.

Why it matters: - World Patient Safety Day puts a global spotlight on preventable harm in health care, and PFPS US is using the 2026 observance to press for changes that affect diagnosis, reporting and hospital safety standards. - The webinar is aimed at national leaders and health systems, with a focus on policies that could improve outcomes for patients, especially older adults and people with noncommunicable diseases.

What happened: - Patients for Patient Safety US announced speakers for its 2026 World Patient Safety Day webinar, titled “The Safe Healthcare System Patients Deserve: A Call from the Patient Community for Action.” - The free webinar is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to noon ET on Zoom. - Martin Hatlie, PFPS US director for policy and advocacy, will moderate the program. - Registration is required, and the full agenda is available on the PFPS US website at the PFPS US website.

The details: - Carole Hemmelgarn, chair of the PFPS US board of directors, will open the program. - U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., is invited to speak about the bipartisan Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act, S. 4989 / H.R. 9696. - Sue Sheridan, PFPS US president and CEO, will deliver a call to action centered on diagnostic safety research, measurement, AI-enabled patient reporting of lived experience, and Medicare policy tools to promote the Patient Safety Structural Measure and Age Friendly Hospital Measure. - Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, will speak on transparency as a driver of patient safety progress. - Patricia McGaffigan, senior advisor for patient safety at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and KellyAnne Johnson, senior advisor for Age-Friendly Hospital Systems, will discuss the Age-Friendly 4Ms Framework for older adults. - Karen Feinstein of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation will lead a panel on Safe by Design, a model for an “Ambition Health System” developed by the Coalition for Safe Healthcare. - Michael Rosen of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Robert El-Kareh of the University of California San Diego will serve as panelists. - Michelle Schreiber, deputy director for quality and value at the CMS Center for Clinical Standards & Quality, will close the program with commentary. - World Patient Safety Day is observed annually on Sept. 17 by the World Health Organization. - The 2026 theme is “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases.”

Between the lines: - PFPS US is linking patient safety advocacy to federal policy, Medicare leverage and technology-enabled reporting, signaling a push beyond awareness into system-level change. - The speaker lineup blends patient advocates, federal health officials, academics and hospital safety experts, suggesting the group wants both policy credibility and practical implementation reach. - The emphasis on diagnostic safety and age-friendly care reflects two persistent risk areas in U.S. health care: missed diagnoses and preventable harm among older patients.

What's next: - PFPS US says the webinar registration is open now through Zoom. - The organization will use the event to advance its call for national leaders to invest in diagnostic safety and patient reporting tools. - The Sept. 17 program will serve as PFPS US’s public platform for World Patient Safety Day 2026.

The bottom line: - PFPS US is turning World Patient Safety Day into a policy-focused appeal for safer diagnosis, greater transparency and more reliable care for patients at highest risk.