State leaders and health officials gathered today at the Mississippi Capitol to address the state's dismal ranking in colorectal cancer morbidity rates, a figure that can be drastically reduced by early screening methods.

Did the nurse who just stopped by your hospital room wash her hands before she left? Did you get the promised results of your blood tests, and were they explained to your satisfaction? Keeping tabs on their own care is one way patients and their families can get involved in promoting safety and ensuring that the patient suffers no harm during his or her stay. It's part of the education message of Patient Safety Awareness Week, a March 8-14 national observance that focuses on the relationship between medical staff, patients and patient families.

A number of interesting events is scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.