FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 5, 2009

CHICAGO — Actor Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, describe it as "the scariest day of our lives"—the day that a medical mistake left their newborn twins fighting for their lives. Now, on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Tuesday, March 10, Quaid returns to Cedars-Sinai Hospital for the first time to see for himself what measures have been taken to help ensure it doesn't happen again.

First, Dennis Quaid tells Oprah about finding out that his newborn twins had been given medication 1,000 times the dosage they should have received . Says Quaid "It was like the floor was pulled out from under our feet. It was quite a shock." He continues: "I [felt] like when you go to hospitals, before this incident, that I [would] be taken care of and everything's going to be fine. People know what they're doing. And they do for the most part. But mistakes happen. Errors occur all the time."

He also remembers his feelings once the twins pulled through and were sleeping comfortably at the hospital, saying: "I just remember thinking that … this did happen for a reason. These two little kids, 12 days old, they're going to change the world in some way. And I think that reason is to raise awareness and to get something done about computerized record keeping and bar coding in hospitals."

Then, Oprah Show cameras accompany Quaid as he visits Cedars-Sinai for the first time since the incident. As he enters the building, Quaid says, "Being here brings back a lot of memories, not all of them good."

Finally, Dr. Oz shares a critical checklist for anyone facing an upcoming medical procedure. From prescription errors to "wrong site" surgery and even surgical objects left in the patient's body, medical errors are taking their toll in operating rooms across the country. Now, viewers will learn the tools they can use to help avoid medical mistakes.

The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 22 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.** It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 214 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution Group and to 145 countries by CBS Paramount International Television.

Sources:
**Nielsen Cassandra Ranking Report - Nov'86 to July '99 and Wrap Sweeps, Nov '99 to July '08. Primary Telecasts Only.

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