Yanling Yu, PhD
Co-founder & President, Washington Advocates for Patient Safety
Seattle, WA
I learned about patient safety the hard way, after my dad was killed by the negligent use of an off-label medication. The drug was contraindicative for his medical conditions and caused fatal adverse reactions. To protect all of us who are still alive from medical harm and to promote patient rights as well as healthcare accountability and transparency, my husband Rex Johnson and I passed a medical board transparency bill in Washington State in 2011. A year later, we co-founded a nonprofit organization, Washington Advocates for Patient Safety, to improve quality of care and patient safety as well as patient-centered care and shared decision making. Currently, I am serving as a public member on Washington State medical board; member of Washington State Hospital Acquired Infection Advisory Committee; member of Patient Safety Standing Committee of National Quality Forum; consumer representative on FDA Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee; member of national advisory committee for Train-the-Trainer (T3) Interprofessional Faculty Development Program (FDP) at University of Washington; and faculty for T3 training and for national TeamSTEPPS training at University of Washington.
To read more details of Yanling’s father’s story of Patient Harm, Click Here