National Doctor’s Day was created to show appreciation to your doctors. Doctors perform vital diagnosis, treatment and care for yourself and your family. When you are well, your doctor keeps you well. When you are sick, there is no other person more important to you than your doctor.

Doctors’ Day observances date back to March 30, 1933. It was started by Eudora Brown Almond of Winder, Ga. The day marks the anniversary of the first use of general anesthesia in surgery. The first National Doctor’s Day was celebrated in 1991.

On March 30, 1958, the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day. In 1990, the congress and the senate approved legislation establishing National Doctors Day. The resolution designating March 30th as National Doctors’ Day was signed by President George H. Bush.

March 6-12, 2011 is designated National Patient Safety Awareness Week, offering hospitals and other health care providers an opportunity to increase awareness of efforts and initiatives to improve quality of care. National Patient Safety Awareness Week is an educational and awareness building effort launched in 2002 by the National Patient Safety Foundation. The focus for 2011 is to get staff, patients and families and communities involved, informed and invested in improving the health care process. The theme this year is “Are you in? Commit to Safe Health Care.” For more information, visit www.npsf.org.