ABOUT PAT
In 2008, Pat’s 78 year old mother took an accidental fall at work that resulted in a crushed shoulder. During the shoulder repair operation, she suffered a severe heart attack that went unrecognized by the entire staff for nearly nine hours. This resulted in four months of intensive care, the use of every means of life support available, and a lengthy stay at a rehabilitation center where the substandard quality of care nearly ended her life on several occasions.
Throughout this, Pat was an activist – watching, listening, learning, and speaking up on behalf of her mother. This experience unveiled the shocking truth about hospital care today. Pat is dedicated to share her findings in an effort to spare innocent patients from the perils she experienced and to help guide clinicians toward improving the patient experience.
The book – Speak Up and Stay Alive, a patient advocate hospital survival guide, is the result of several years of research and interviews, in addition to real life mishaps. Pat speaks nationally on the subject – educating groups, clubs, organizations, and healthcare and hospital providers. As the hostess and producer of her national radio shows, she stresses the need to have an advocate at all times and shares the dangers – what they are, why and how they happen, and how to survive them. For her own personal survival, Pat takes a daily river cruise in her pink kayak.
Patricia J. Rullo is the author of many books, including Speak Up and Stay Alive, a patient advocate hospital survival guide. She is a speaker and trainer on the subject of patient safety and is the hostess and producer of three nationally syndicated radio shows. (Speak Up and Stay Alive, Speak Up Talk Radio, and Eleven Cats Radio) Pat is a seasoned audiobook narrator and producer. In addition, she interviews and promotes authors on her Internet radio network – Speak Up Talk Radio where she also offers her service to help others host their own podcasts.
As featured at the Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Patient Experience – Does Anyone Color Anymore?
As featured at Kevin MD – Dirty Jeans and a Positive Patient Experience
Prior to becoming the voice for patient safety – Pat was known as a speaker and coach in the insurance industry and has served on the advisory boards of New York Life Insurance Company and Transamerica Life Insurance Company. She is the founder of the charity THE SEWPORT PROJECT where handmade pillowcases are personally delivered to homeless veteran shelters, women and children’s domestic abuse shelters, and also cage comforters to animal rescue homes.
Pat has been rescued by 13 cats and not surprisingly, she is an accomplished litterbox scooper.
Note: All book and speaking proceeds go toward the pillowcase/book/essential oil wellness project where handmade pillowcases, children’s books, and organic essential oil wellness products are delivered to women and children’s domestic abuse shelters.
THE BOOK
- Every year hospital errors claim roughly 450,000 lives.
- Heart attacks are misdiagnosed 47 percent of the time. Why are women the common victims?
- Hospital death rates increase up to 34% in July.
Why do these things happen? What can you do about them? How can you be safe? The book tells all.
SPEAK UP AND STAY ALIVE is listed on the recommended reading list of the U.S. Army Medical Department.
