CHICAGO (May 10, 2006) – Four Leaf Enterprises, Inc., an independent Chicago-based film production company, recently received a prestigious Telly Award for its patient safety film, “Things You Should Know Before Entering the Hospital.” With a record 12,500 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries in the 26th annual competition, the receipt of this year's Telly Award for the production team’s first entry is notable.

“We are honored to have been selected by the Telly Awards this year,” said Rick Erwin, documentary filmmaker and director. “ To win with our first entry is a credit to what others are saying about the message of this important film.”

Four Leaf Enterprises produced the documentary in response to a Journal of the American Medical Association report that close to 100,000 people die annually as a result of medical errors while hospitalized. Enlisting the help of experts in the patient safety industry, the film team created the documentary to help save lives by educating people about how to take a proactive role in their healthcare. In addition to Erwin, the team consists of documentary filmmaker and editor, Ernie Schubert; executive producer/writer, Betty Hoeffner; and producer/writer Lynn Sanders.

A solution-based film, the documentary educates viewers using an entertaining form of humor starring Ben Hollis, comedian and Emmy-award winning actor. The film, available at patientsafetyvideo.com, contains important information on how to help avoid medical errors by asking the right questions, from how to avoid wrong-site surgery to why it is imperative to have an advocate with you 24/7. It stresses ways to help avoid infection and medication errors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, as many as two million patients contract an infection from U.S. hospitals or medical centers each year, accounting for 90,000 deaths. In the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers estimate that staph infections cause nearly 12,000 deaths annually, accounting for increased hospital bills of $9.5 billion.

Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. Winners and finalists represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators and corporate video departments in the world. With a 26-year history of recognizing creative excellence, the Telly Awards is a widely known and highly respected international competition.

Four Leaf Enterprises, Inc. is an independent, Chicago-based film production company created in 2005 as a labor of love to advocate for hospital patient information through its premier documentary, “Things You Should Know Before Entering the Hospital.” The film is available on DVD or VHS for $29.95 and includes a convenient checklist to prepare for hospital stays. A portion of the documentary’s sales are donated to Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, a nonprofit organization working with hospitals to stop medical errors. For more information, including details for ordering, send an email to info@patientsafetyvideo.com or visit online at patientsafetyvideo.com.