Jennifer Dingman
Founder, Persons United Limiting Substandards and Errors in Healthcare (PULSE), Colorado Division
Co-founder, PULSE American Division
TMIT Patient Advocate Team Member
Pueblo, CO

Jennifer Dingman realized, after her mother’s death in 1995 due to errors in medical diagnoses and treatment, that there is little to no help available for patients and their families in similar situations. This life-changing experience left her feeling vulnerable, and she decided to dedicate her life to help prevent medical tragedies from happening to others.

In 1996, Jennifer founded PULSE of Colorado, now a national organization, as a platform to support patients and their families who had experienced medical errors and other adverse medical outcomes. Within two years, PULSE became a national force when PULSE of New York paved the way for many other state chapters to be born. Additionally, Jennifer became an active member of the National Patient Safety Foundation and served on numerous committees, including the Board of Governors.

For more than 24 years, she has volunteered her time to improve the quality of the healthcare system in the U.S. She believes that patient involvement, and promoting an equal partnership between the doctor and the patient, is the most effective way to achieve better quality in the healthcare industry.

Jennifer is a TMIT Patient Advocate Team Member. She has co-authored patient safety articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.

She is a member of Champion for Patient Safety, and represented the organization at the 2005 Patients for Patient Safety Workshop in London and the 2006 Pan American Health Organization Workshop in San Francisco to discuss patient safety and empowerment. Jennifer also served on the board of directors for a local Colorado-based community health center for six years and currently sits on the local school district’s health advisory board.

An avid patient advocate, Jennifer Dingman joined the Cautious Patient Foundation as an Advisory Board member. In this position, Jennifer offers input, ideas and expert advice on the Foundation’s key issues in order to bring changes to the current healthcare system.

Since 2008, Jennifer has served as a faculty member of The Patient Safety Clinical Pharmacy Collaborative, a groundbreaking patient safety initiative that has changed the face of healthcare delivery with measurable positive outcomes for patients. For her tireless efforts, she has won national recognition, including the 2004 Patient Safety Award given by the Colorado Patient Safety Coalition, where Jennifer is a member, and the 2007 Pete Conrad Patient Safety Award. Her invaluable input from a patient’s perspective is widely sought by healthcare groups that are addressing patient-safety issues. Jennifer’s energy and compassion help both patients and doctors alike.

She and several other advocates have been managing Patient Safety Day since 2008 in the USA, and will continue to do so in the future as well as support the new International Patient Safety Day on Sept. 17 each year to come.  Jennifer strongly believes in unity and solidarity if ever patients and families are going to help change the severely flawed system of USA healthcare delivery.