Ken Farbstein is founder and President of Patient AdvoCare. He collaborates with a large national network of skilled advocates. Ken co-led a redesign project at the multi-hospital CareGroup system wining the $25,000 first annual Premier Award for Hospital Medication Safety. He has over 20 years experience in health care. He has advised clinical and administrative leaders in hospitals, medical groups, health maintenance organizations, and Massachusetts state government on ways to improve medication safety and reduce costs through rapid cycle techniques. He served two elected terms as the President of the Consumer Health Quality Council of Health Care for All. His book, Getting Your Best Health Care: Real-World Stories for Patient Empowerment, is published by Dorland Health, available for consumer purchase April 15, 2011.

Ken has advised dozens of provider organizations on improving access and redesigning care to be more patient-centered. A sample list appears below. Ken advises patient advocates through professional consultation and Patient Safety Blog. Ken has served as Manager of HMO Quality Improvement for the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance. Prior to that, he headed the Quality Resource Group in the Boston City Hospital system. Ken has published eight papers on health care and innovation in large organizations. He received an M.P.P. from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and an A.B. with departmental honors from Stanford University.

Ken has had the privilege of working with:

• Anna Jaques Hospital
  
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  
• Boston Specialty and Rehabilitation Hospital
  
• CareGroup
  
• Cambridge Public Health Commission (Cambridge and Somerville Hospitals)
  
• CO-MHAR
• Deaconess Glover Hospital
  
• Deaconess Nashoba Hospital
  
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates & Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Hebrew Rehabilitation Center
  
• InterAct
• LRADAC
• Massachusetts Medicaid Program (MassHealth)
  
• Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, PC
  
• Mt. Auburn Hospital
  
• Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx)
• New England Baptist Hospital
  
• University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care