from April 10, 2006

EMAIL this article to a friend

When Betty Hoeffner, a PR specialist, heard editor Ernie Schubert’s horror stories of medical goofs and errors observed during a lengthy stay in a suburban hospital, she said to her production friends, “we have a movie here.”

The movie is a 22-minute video, “Things You Should Know Before Entering the Hospital,” a recent Telly bronze award winner.

“A lot of what I saw in the hospital was unnecessary and potentially dangerous,” said Schubert, noting that nearly 100,000 people die each year due to hospital medical errors.

Enlisting the help of experts in the patient safety industry, executive producer Hoeffner, director Rick Erwin, editor/producer Schubert of Mixed Media and producer/writer Lynn Sanders of Park Avenue Productions created Four Leaf Enterprises to produce the video. They also funded it.

Actor/comedian Ben Hollis narrated the solution-based video, of which 17 minutes contains advice (asking detailed questions about medication, why it’s imperative to have an advocate with you 24/7,etc.) and 12 minutes’ worth of patients’ stories.

Erwin spent a day shooting DVD at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Hoffman Estates, and more than a week shooting the patients’ stories.

Hospital patients should have a 24/7 advocate

One story is told by a woman patient who an orderly insisted was due for dialysis. Despite her telling him no, she wasn’t, he nonetheless pushed her through hospital halls, while she yelled she wasn’t scheduled for dialysis.

“Fortunately a head nurse heard her cries and prevented what could have been a fatal procedure,” said Hoeffner. “Making sure you make friends with the nurses, particularly the charge nurse, is one of the things you should know.”

“Things” also chillingly stresses ways to help patients avoid infection and medication errors, since two million people contract infections in the hospital that result in some 20,000 deaths.

“Things You Should Know” is sold for $29.95 over www.patientsafetyvideo.com, and with a workbook through the Oak Brook-based Joint Commission Accreditation & Health Care Organization that accredits hospitals and trains staff.

The award from the 26th Telly Awards, which attracted 12,500 entries from the U.S. and other countries, marked Erwin’s festival entry and award. “It's another credit to what others are saying about the important message of this video,” he said.

Rick Erwin can be reached at 312/543-4695; Betty Hoeffner’s phone is 773/348-8681; Ernie Schubert’s is 312/222-0100. —Ruth L Ratny

I've known of Rick and Betty's work for years. They are both consistently quality performers and supporters of worthy causes. This venture was a great eye opener for me, and I think deserving of the award. —Sporty King, R. King and Associates

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Share your great ideas, opinions, rants, whatever. This space is for you. Do it while you think of it.

Copyright © 2002-2010 REELCHICAGO.COM | All rights reserved.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR EMAIL ALERTS