Akerman Senterfitt Hosts National Panel Discussion on Patient Safety Org...( TALLAHASSEE Fla. Jan. 6 /PRNewswire...),Health

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Akerman Senterfitt, one of the largest law firms in Florida and one of the top 100 firms in the U.S., today announced that it will host and lead a national audiocast under the auspices of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) about working with federally certified Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) and issues concerning privilege and confidentiality. The live audiocast will take place at several of Akerman's Florida offices on January 29.

The panel discussion is sponsored by the AHLA Risk Management affinity group and will be led by Akerman Attorneys James M. "Chet" Barclay and Lisa Barclay, both of whom serve as counsel to the Florida Patient Safety Corporation, the first PSO to become federally certified in the United States.

"It is always important to prepare for changes such as the PSO final rules that will take effect after January 19, and we are pleased to lead this statewide discussion in association with AHLA," said James Barclay. "Given Amendment 7, providers throughout Florida may have a particular interest in understanding the federal protections given to data reported to PSOs."

Other featured speakers include Dr. William B. Munier, MD, Director of the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (the Center) at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within the Department of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Amy Helwig, MD, a Medical Officer in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.

The panel will address a range of topics related to PSOs, including:

• What are PSOs, who certifies them, what are the certification criteria and where is more information available?
• What is a Patient Safety Evaluation System and what is (and isn't) Patient Safety Work Prod
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