''The tough-minded and revealing story of a leading doctor's crusade against medical harm...Fascinating reading.'' -Atul Gawande, author of ''The Checklist Manifesto.'' First, do no harm. Doctors, nurses, and clinicians swear by this code of conduct. Yet, medical errors are made every single day-avoidable mistakes that often cost lives. Inspired by two such mistakes, Dr. Peter Pronovost made it his personal mission to improve patient safety and make preventable deaths a thing of the past, one hospital at a time. ''Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals'' shows how Dr. Pronovost started a revolution by creating a simple checklist that standardized a common ICU procedure. His reforms are being implemented in all fifty states and have saved hundreds of lives by cutting hospital-acquired infection rates by 70%. Atul Gawande profiled Dr. Pronovost's reforms in a ''New Yorker'' article and his bestselling book ''The Checklist Manifesto'' is based upon Dr. Pronovost's success in patient safety. But ''Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals'' is the real story: an inspiring, thought-provoking, accessible insider's narrative about how doctors and nurses are improving patient care for all Americans, today.