Helen Haskell, MA
Founder & President, Mothers Against Medical Error
Columbia, SC
Since the medical error death of her young son Lewis in 2000, Helen Haskell has devoted herself to healthcare safety and quality advocacy in a variety of fields including diagnostic error reduction, disclosure of errors and adverse events, rapid response, and infection prevention, among others. In her home state of South Carolina, she was the architect of the Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Act, which required, for the first time, that healthcare providers be clearly identified and that patients be provided with an emergency response system in hospitals. She was closely involved in the passage and implementation of the South Carolina Hospital Infection Disclosure Act and served for many years on its advisory committee.
Helen is president of the nonprofit patient organization Mothers Against Medical Error and serves on boards and committees for a number of national and international organizations. She is author and co-author of numerous articles and patient educational materials on patient safety and quality, including a recent co-edited textbook of case studies from the patient perspective. Her son’s story has been featured in several educational programs and videos including Transparent Health’s Lewis Blackman Story, shown in hospitals and medical and nursing schools across the country. Helen holds a BA in Classical Studies from Duke University and a Master of Arts in Anthropology from Rice University.