Valley doctor walking 125 miles for patients
by Chloe Mar
PHOENIX — A Valley doctor hopes to raise awareness for patient care one mile at a time.
Dr. David Mayer plans to walk more than 100 miles over 10 days between each of the nine Major League Baseball Cactus League stadiums around the Valley plus Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.
Every day, Dr. Mayer will walk in memory of a caregiver or patient lost to preventable harm including death caused by improper equipment, incorrect diagnosis, medication errors and more. According to Mayer, medical errors in hospitals are the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Mayer says awareness of these problems is more important than ever now that COVID-19 has overwhelmed healthcare systems and healthcare workers.
He says, "Why did it take a pandemic for us to realize? They put their lives on the line and do an amazing job day in and day out yet we do not give them the resources. We do not give them everything they need to give the safest and highest quality care possible."
Dr. Mayer is scheduled to complete his 125-mile walk May 30. He encourages others to join him virtually.
However, Mayer says he will continue to fight for systematic change. Learn more about patient safety here.