Helen Haskell is president of two nonprofit patient organizations: Mothers Against Medical Error (MAME) and Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS). She is also a senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and serves as a board member of the Patient Safety Action Network as well as the International Society for Rapid Response.

Since the medical error death of her young son Lewis, Haskell’s goal has been to enhance the patient contribution to safety and quality in healthcare. She works with the World Health Organization on patient safety and patient engagement, and she supports both the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on diagnostic issues. Additionally, Haskell has written and co-authored dozens of articles, book chapters, and educational materials on patient engagement in safety, quality, and diagnosis, including a co-edited textbook of case studies from the patient perspective. Her son Lewis’ story has been featured in educational programs and videos including Transparent Health’s full-length film, The Lewis Blackman Story. 

Helen holds a bachelor's degree in Classical Studies from Duke University and a master’s degree in Anthropology from Rice University.