Westbury, NY – March 30, 2026

 

Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy successfully concluded its annual patient safety symposium and Family-Centered Patient Advocacy Training event in Westbury, NY. The two-day symposium brought together professional and family patient advocates, medical professionals, and patient safety leaders to define “What is a Patient Safety Advocate, and Why It Matters to You.”

​

Event Highlights

 

Day 1 opened with a virtual introduction by Helen Haskell of Mothers Against Medical Error, followed

by sessions on:

• “Vaccinations and What You Need to Know” – Dr. Bruce Hirsch, Associate Professor of Medicine Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Attending Physician in Infectious Diseases

• “Discovering Patient Safety Through My Family’s Healthcare Failure” – Victoria Killian, BCPA

• AI benefits and risks in healthcare – Kristen Miller, DrPH, MSPH, MSL, CPPS Medstar Health Center for Diagnostic Systems Safety, and Senior Scientific Director at the MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare

• Family consequences of medical error – L. Bradley Schwartz, ESQ, and Sofie Schwartz, Greater National Advocates

• Evening “Death Café” – Rev. Dr. Linda Anderson

 

Day 2 featured:

​

• Benefits of advocates operating outside hospital systems – Yosef D. Dlugacz, PhD, CMQ, is the retired Senior Vice President, Chief of Clinical Quality, Education and Research, of Northwell Health

• Inner workings of healthcare systems and patient safety improvements – Juan A. Contreras, CPXP, Director of Patient & Customer Experience, Northshore University Hospital, Northwell Health

• “Conflict Resolution Skills in Healthcare” – Steve Goodstein, RN, BCPA

• “Who’s Who in Homecare” – Karen Campbell, MBA, RSCP

• Starting a professional patient advocacy business – Teri Frykenberg RN CCM BCPA

• Music and Memory: The Accidental Creation of a 92-year-old Social Media Sensation – Dr. Randi Lebar

 

Medical error remains the third-largest cause of preventable death in the United States, making patient advocacy more critical than ever.

​

“This Symposium is wonderful. It’s a great way to enhance your communication, learn about patient safety, and be a better patient advocate for yourself and for others.” – Marc Berlin, On the Marc Patient Advocacy Services

​

​​

Take a look at a few of the photo's from our very successful event that was only possible due to our wonderful sponsors, thank you again!

​

​

​