Welcome to the January/February 2024 edition of the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety (HCAPS) newsletter! This month, we’re taking a look back at the accomplishments of HCAPS in 2023, how we’re working to increase awareness of patient safety, and the latest updates from our work on Capitol Hill. Enjoy!

HCAPS Advocacy Spotlight: 2023 Year in Review

2023 was a big year for HCAPS! The latest edition of the HCAPS Advocacy Spotlight recounts the significant achievements of the organization and our Partners from the last year. Each issue of the Advocacy Spotlight features the impactful work of our organization, Partners, and community. We hope you enjoy.

The latest edition focuses on the highlights from HCAPS in the past year, including:

• Reintroduction of the Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act (HR 2748).
• Receiving AOA's highest honor, the Apollo Award.
• Sponsoring a myopia study with the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Mathematics (NASEM).
• And more!

Read through the latest spotlight and share it with your friends!

American Optometric Student Association Meeting Recap

HCAPS Executive Director, Ralph Kohl, recently had the opportunity to present to representatives from the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) in Nashville, TN. This meeting, which took place on Friday, January 19, allowed optometry professionals to learn more about the importance of patient safety and the doctor-patient relationship. Check out the incredible group we engaged with and their new HCAPS tumblers!

NASEM Committee Meetings

HCAPS is excited to be a sponsor of a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) that aims to identify the causes of increasing rates of myopia and determine a scientific path forward that explains its prevalence.

HCAPS' representatives participated in a series of meetings related to this study, and the fourth meeting for the Focus on Myopia - Pathogenesis and Rising Incidence committee took place on January 22 and 24. To learn more about this critical study, take a look at the virtual recording of the meeting.

HCAPS on the Hill

HCAPS is constantly working to influence legislators to support patient safety and protect and defend the doctor-patient relationship. The Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act (HR 2748) was introduced by Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE).  If passed, this legislation will modernize the contact lens prescription verification process and make it safer for millions of contact lens wearers by prohibiting telephone calls with an artificial or prerecorded voice, also known as robocalls, from being used as a method for verifying patients’ prescriptions. Take action in support of this important legislation today!

HCAPS’ Johnson & Johnson Vision team recently met with Representatives John Rutherford (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), John Joyce (R-PA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Sanford Bishop (D-GA) to discuss patient safety, the doctor-patient relationship, and the Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act. HCAPS also got to interact with Val Hoyle (D-OR), Anne Kuster (D-NH), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX). 

Thank you for your continued advocacy.

The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety