Osher Offers a Second Chance to Take JHF’s Popular “Protecting Yourself As A Patient” Course

Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s (OLLI) new course, “Protecting Yourself as a Patient,” has struck a powerful chord with the community, reaching capacity within just three days of opening registration. Over its six sessions, this virtual course saw high rates of attendance from the 35 participants, signaling strong public interest in navigating health care more safely and confidently.

Launched by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) in early May and concluding June 11, the course helps older adults and caregivers learn to prevent common types of medical harm by providing practical strategies to avoid medication errors, patient care accidents, procedural and surgical complications, infections, and diagnostic errors.

“This course empowers patients to be active partners in their own care,” said JHF President and CEO Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, course creator and longtime health reform advocate. “The overwhelming response shows how hungry people are for this kind of information.”

The program’s success reflects growing awareness of preventable medical errors, which are estimated to be the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Led by national patient safety experts, the sessions featured interactive learning, personal stories, and practical tools that participants could immediately apply to protect themselves and their loved ones in today’s complex healthcare landscape. Prominent patient safety researchers and advocates spoke at each session, guiding students on how to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings and encouraged them to reflect on their personal experiences through a patient safety lens.

"As a practicing geriatrician, I see how important it is to advocate for yourself and a loved one—a core theme in this course across all six sessions. I was thrilled to be invited to participate as the study leader, guiding the important discussions between experts and the students to help them navigate how to use the information and tools to stay safe across our healthcare system,” said study leader Eric Rodriguez, MD, MPH, of the UPMC Benedum Geriatric Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Among the guest speakers were some of the top national experts in patient safety, including: David Bates, MD, Harvard Medical School; David Classen, MD, MS, Pascal Metrics; Tim Cooner, UPMC Health Plan; Karen Curtiss, The Care Partner Project; Martin Hatlie, JD, Patients for Patient Safety US; Patricia Kroboth, BS, MS, PhD, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy; retired surgeon Josh Rubin, MD; Vanessa Samay, MyChart; patient advocate Leilani Schweitzer; Rick Shannon, MD, Duke Health; Ann Shastay, RN, MSN, AOCN, Institute for Safe Medication Practices; Hardeep Singh, MD, MPH, VA Medical Center; Paul Tang, MD, MS, Stanford University; and patient advocate Peggy Zuckerman.

“‘Protecting Yourself as a Patient” has been among the most informative classes that I have experienced as a student. We have been presented with national research and efforts to raise protection for patients and have been given highly practical advice as to how to protect ourselves and loved ones from medical and medication errors, at bedside and in the home,” participant David Matthews said. “While I have learned much, my primary learning has been to reinforce the notion that the patient is an important part of the medical team and the necessity to empower oneself to be alert and involved in the healing process.”

Organizers are already exploring ways to expand the course for future sessions to meet demand. The course will be brought back to CMU’s OLLI in Fall of 2025 on Wednesdays from November 5 through December 17th. Registration will open in late summer; watch for more information on their website here.