Effort to reduce medical errors brings Sebelius to St. Paul

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visits a Twin Cities hospital Thursday to highlight an effort to reduce medical errors and related costs.

Sebelius will visit HealthPartners and Regions Hospital in St. Paul as part of the Obama Administration's Partnership for Patients. The Administration wants medical centers and hospitals to reduce mistakes and preventable hospital readmission rates by 2013.

HealthPartners' CEO, Mary Brainerd said Regions has been able to lower hospital readmission rates for some of its patients by 20 percent.

"To be called out for the work that you do gives us a chance to celebrate and recognize the caregivers across the organization that are working so hard and I think that's a great thing," Brainerd said.

Brainerd said Regions will be applying for federal funding to help reduce errors. The Obama administration said the prevention program could save $35 billion in health costs over the next three years.