Health care workers across the country are working hard to make health care safety a priority. Everyone has a role in making health care safe - physicians, health care executives, nurses, technologists, and you, the patient.

You can play a vital role in making your surgical procedure safe by becoming an active, involved and informed member of your health care team. Here's what you can do to make your surgery safe.

To support this goal, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has created a Universal Protocol to Prevent Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure and Wrong Person Surgery. TM

The Indiana Heart Hospital endorses the Universal Protocol.