PORTSMOUTH, Virg.  –   PORTSMOUTH, Va. (March 16, 2022) Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) hosted a patient appreciation and education event in honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 16.

Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual event created to encourage everyone to learn more about health care safety, and representatives from NMCP’s Directorate of Quality Management visited various areas of the medical center to talk to patients directly.

“Staff from the Directorate of Quality Management walked through the pharmacy, lab and other patient waiting areas to promote patient and family engagement,” said Cmdr. Joselyn Mercado-Abadie, NMCP Quality Management director and Chief Medical Officer.

She explained that the event was to promote health literacy by distributing educational materials and discussing the Ask Me 3™ tool with patients. “Designed by health literacy experts, Ask Me 3™ helps patients become more active members of their healthcare team,” added Mercado-Abadie.

As the U. S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally acclaimed, state of the art medical center, including its ten branch and TRICARE Prime clinics, serves the Hampton Roads area and additionally offers premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsmen for future roles in healing and wellness.