ABOUT

Medical mistakes lead to as many as 440,000 preventable deaths every year, making it the #3 leading cause of death in the United States. To Err Is Human is an in-depth documentary about this silent epidemic and those working quietly behind the scenes to fix it. We created this film to showcase solutions that are easy to implement and would dramatically improve the quality of healthcare immediately.

While access to care is a vital flashpoint in America right now, it is equally important to ensure the quality of that care is improving, and not actually causing unnecessary harm or death. The documentary focuses on the idea of a new culture of safety in medicine through the efforts of a select few who believe the system can improve by first acknowledging its imperfections.

This topic in particular holds a personal connection to me as the son of patient safety pioneer, the late Dr. John M. Eisenberg. Before he passed away in 2002, my father’s work in this field led to a national discussion on medical mistakes and he was the driving force behind federal efforts to improve patient safety. Through this film, we hope to carry on his legacy by providing a productive look at healthcare quality today and how we can do better, rather than presenting a “gotcha” documentary. Those who work in healthcare today want to help patients, but sometimes the system is designed in a way that prevents them from doing just that.

My Dad was deeply devoted to his work. Throughout the production of this documentary, I was honored to meet dozens of individuals who worked alongside my father during his career. What struck me was the impact his work had on them not only professionally, but personally. His work ethic was unparalleled and our goal as filmmakers will be to work just as hard to ensure Americans are not just informed of the hazards of medicine, but empowered to become a part of their own care.

Mike Eisenberg, Director of To Err Is Human

Motion Design provided by: Method Studios Chicago
Creative Director: Brett Glover
Senior Producer: Matthew Engel
Motion Designers: Tobias Mattner, Beau Wright
Post-Production Audio Mix: Andrew Shabat
Location Audio: Anthony Mariotto
Additional Camera Operators: Vito Selvaggi, Ben Kegan

Studying community/public health at Portland State University. She has served in volunteer community development programs in Mexico and Africa and recently studied healthcare topics in Seville, Spain.