Safety Oversight Sought for NIH Hospital

The largest research hospital in the world, the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, needs reform so that patient safety is always the priority — and never subservient to the demands of science.

That's the conclusion of a sweeping review by a task force of independent experts convened by the NIH. The team has made a slew of recommendations, including the creation of an outside hospital board to oversee the clinical center, and a new central office to coordinate research quality and safety oversight.