AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Susan C. Wallace, Patient Safety Authority
Susan C. Wallace (suwallace@ pa.gov) is a senior patient safety liai-son with the Patient Safety Authority for the South Central region of Penn-sylvania, as well as a Core Team Lead for the PSA’s Center of Excellence for Improving Diagnosis. Prior to her current role, Wallace worked as a di-rector of risk management, patient safety officer, and safety analyst.
Caitlyn Allen , Patient Safety Authority
Caitlyn Allen is director of Engage-ment for the Patient Safety Author-ity and managing editor for Patient Safety, the PSA’s peer-reviewed journal. Before joining the PSA, she was the project manager for Patient Safety at Jefferson Health, where she also was the only non-physician elected to serve on the House Staff Quality and Safety Leadership Council. Previously, Al-len also was a project manager and patient safety officer for Wills Eye Hospital.
Abstract
Falls are a common and often devastating health threat for hospitalized patients, as they can cause serious injuries such as a hip fracture, and even lead to death. Falls in Pennsylvania continue to be one of the biggest contributors to patient harm and the fourth-most frequently reported event. An estimated 1 out of every 56 inpatients will fall in a Pennsylvania hospital.
