News

Contact: Karrine Brogoitti

During National Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 8th-14th), we’re spotlighting four issues shaping safer care in 2026, and what they mean for patients in our rural community.

When people hear “patient safety,” they often think of the obvious moments: a surgical procedure, a hospital stay, a serious diagnosis. But patient safety is also shaped by things most patients never see. How quickly a test result is reviewed. Whether a team has enough hands on deck. How long someone waits for a bed. Whether care is accessible close to home.

This year’s focus aligns with the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2026, an annual report from ECRI, an independent nonprofit focused on improving healthcare safety, developed in collaboration with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).

This year, we’re using National Patient Safety Awareness Week to highlight four concerns being discussed nationally and locally, and to translate them into one simple question:
What does this mean for you as a patient?

1) AI in diagnostics: faster insights, and the responsibility to use them well

You may hear more about artificial intelligence (AI) being used in healthcare, especially in areas like imaging and diagnostics. For patients, this can bring two very human reactions at once: hope and hesitation.

Here’s what we want you to know: AI is not a replacement for a clinician. It’s a tool that can support decision-making, improve consistency, and highlight things that warrant closer review. The safest approach is thoughtful: using technology to add another layer of review while keeping clinical judgment and patient context at the center.

What this means for you: When AI is used responsibly, it can help care teams identify concerns sooner, reduce missed details, and support clearer conversations about next steps. You still deserve the same thing you’ve always deserved: a provider who reviews the results, explains them in plain language, and makes decisions with your full picture in mind.

Angel Romero, Jr., Interim Director of Quality and Risk Management at Grande Ronde Hospital & Clinics, puts it this way: “AI supports care, it doesn’t replace your clinicians. Safe care means clear oversight, with people and technology working together.”

2) Rural access to care: safety includes being able to get care when you need it

In rural communities, safety isn’t just about what happens once you’re in an exam room. It’s also about whether you can get an appointment, whether you can travel for specialty care, and whether your care team is close enough to know you, your history, and your needs.

When healthcare is farther away, delays can grow. Conditions can worsen before a person gets seen. Follow-ups can be harder to keep. That’s why protecting access to local care is a safety issue, not just a convenience.

What this means for you: Having care available close to home helps people get seen earlier, stay on track with treatment, and avoid preventable crises. It also supports continuity, where your care team knows your story, not just your chart.

That’s why Romero keeps it simple: “Access is safety. Rural communities deserve timely, local care, and GRH is committed to protecting it.”

3) Emergency Department waits and boarding: when “waiting” becomes a safety issue

Many patients have felt it: the uncertainty of an ED visit, the stress of not knowing how long it will take, and the emotional toll of waiting.

ED “boarding” happens when patients who need admission remain in the Emergency Department because inpatient beds aren’t available yet. It’s not just an inconvenience. It can affect comfort, privacy, and the flow of care. And it can slow down access for the next patient who needs urgent help.

What this means for you: When the ED is backed up, people can experience longer waits and a more stressful care environment. Behind the scenes, teams are constantly working to keep care safe and coordinated while moving patients to the right level of care as soon as it’s available.

As Romero explains: “Behind the scenes, GRH teams work nonstop to reduce waits and move patients to the right level of care.”

4) Federal funding cuts: what patients feel when resources get tighter

When healthcare funding is uncertain or reduced, patients can feel it in ways that are practical and immediate: staffing shortages, longer waits, fewer available services, delayed equipment upgrades, and increased strain on the systems that support safe care.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about the reality that rural healthcare runs on tight margins, and stable funding supports the staffing, training, technology, and infrastructure that patients count on.

What this means for you: Reliable funding helps protect access, keep care close to home, and maintain the people and systems that make safety possible. When resources shrink, the work of providing timely, safe care becomes harder.

Romero puts it plainly: “Stable funding supports safe care. Cuts strain rural hospitals and can increase delays.”

What you can do: small steps that make care safer

• Bring a current medication list (including supplements).
• Ask, “What should I watch for when I go home?”
• Repeat back instructions if something feels unclear.
• Share changes early—new symptoms, new side effects, new concerns.

Patient safety isn’t one initiative. It’s the result of strong teams, clear communication, smart systems, and access to care when you need it. During National Patient Safety Awareness Week, we’re proud to spotlight what’s changing in healthcare and to stay focused on what never changes: your safety, your understanding, and your trust.