Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/685863
1 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E J U N E 2 0 1 6 I n 2004, a double dose of unspeakable tragedy floored Ridley Barron, but it didn't keep him down for long. First, a motorist ran a stop sign and broadsided the minivan transporting him, his wife, Sarah, and their 3 young children back home to Georgia after a week's vaca- tion in South Carolina. The accident took the life of Sarah and seriously injured Josh, his 17-month-old son. Then, 5 days later, while Josh was recovering in the hospital from the head injuries he'd suffered in the accident, a nurse administered an adult-strength overdose of seizure medication to the toddler. The medication error killed him. Mr. Barron chose to turn the tragedies into some- thing positive. Now in demand as a speaker, he travels the country, challenging caregivers and Every ½ Second Counts: A Victim's Perspective On Patient Safety He lost his wife in a car accident and his toddler son days later to a medication error. • Nationally known speaker on quality of care, sentinel events and the sec- ond victim in hospi- tal errors. • Nominated for the prestigious MITSS (Medically Induced Trauma Support Services) Hope Award in 2011. • Author of the book Twist of Faith. Ridley Barron Speaker Profile healthcare facilities to make patient safety a top priority — and reminding them that safety is not a destination that you arrive at but an ongoing journey that starts over every time the OR doors swing open. • The 1 ⁄2 second. About 3 weeks after the acci- dent, a friend of mine said, "At that speed, if your van had arrived at the intersection just a 1 ⁄2 second sooner or later, this wreck never would have happened and your family would be okay." I realize that " 1 ⁄2 second" has a wide range of applications for people who listen to what I have to share — from the pharmacist who could have double-checked the medication in a 1 ⁄2 second before she sent it to my son that day, to a doctor