[nradov]

The Institute of Medicine report "To Err is Human: Building A Safer Health System" states: "At least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many as 98,000 people, die in hospitals each year as a result of medical errors that could have been prevented". Some improvements have been made since then but it's still a huge problem.

http://www.iom.edu/Reports/1999/To-Err-is-Human-Building-A-S...