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Wed, 4 Oct 2006 14:29:12 EDT

 A Healthcare Television Series All Americans Should See

Tomorrow (Thursday, October 5), PBS stations around the country will begin airing Remaking American Medicine (check local listings), an unprecedented and hard-hitting investigative series that explores the quality of the healthcare available in this country. It is an issue that should concern every American, because poor medical care puts us all at risk.

Today in the U.S., patients have just a 50/50 chance of getting the right medical care at the right time. Nearly 100,000 die in hospitals each year due to preventable medical errors, and a million more are injured. These errors drive up the cost of care, raising prices for all of us and making healthcare even less accessible to people with low incomes and those who are under- or uninsured.

The National Partnership for Women & Families has been working to improve the quality of healthcare in this country for years, and to give consumers a voice in this complex and contentious debate. We have never before recommended a television series on any issue, but we are asking our members and allies to watch this one because we think it addresses one of the most important issues of our time.

Over the course of four programs, Remaking American Medicine takes a close look at the impact of medical errors, the challenge of treating chronic diseases, and the medical practitioners, patients, families and activists who have joined together to find ways to improve a healthcare system that is failing so many of us. The program shines a spotlight on gaps in care that may harm us all, and offers both solutions and hope.

It is important television that has the potential to engage the public as well as the policy makers who can adopt needed reforms.

Please help spread the word about the series with your members. Interested persons can sign up for an email reminder about the series at: