NEWS RELEASE

CRG MEDICAL FOUNDATION FOR PATIENT SAFETY

6800 West Loop South, Suite 190
Bellaire, Texas, 77401
Website: www.communityofcompetence.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT:

January 4, 2006 Elizabeth Smith, Ph.D.
Telephone: 832-778-7777
Fax: 281-920-1118
Email: esmith@crgmedical.com

Local Foundation for Patient Safety Appoints New President

BELLAIRE — CRG Medical Foundation for Patient Safety, a local research and educational foundation for
patient safety and quality healthcare, has named Matthew C. Mireles, Ph.D., M.P.H., President and Director of
Research. CRG Medical Foundation was formed in 2003 as an active nonprofit 501(c)(3) learning organization
dedicated to building a culture of patient safety and patient-centered medicine and practice. Recently, the
Foundation relocated to an expanded office space in Bellaire area, on the west corridor to the Texas Medical
Center.
Mireles earned his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University and his
Master of Public Health from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in Occupational Health and
Safety and Aerospace Medicine at the School of Public Health. In 2004, he completed his doctorate in
Epidemiology also at the School of Public Health and joined CRG Medical Foundation as Vice President and
Director of Research to lead the Foundation’s mission and programs to promote, support and translate research
into practice relevant to improving patient safety and healthcare quality.
His background and research interest in public health, particularly injury and occupational epidemiology,
provides an expertise in the study of medical errors, which many experts consider today a national epidemic of
preventable mistakes. More than 98,000 American patients die each year because of medical errors, ranging from
wrong medication, wrong procedure, and wrong patient to delayed treatment and infections acquired during
hospitalization. Mireles also completed flight training with the U.S. Navy as a flight navigator at Naval Air Station
Pensacola, Florida. He brings tremendous experience in safety from aviation. Currently, many researchers are
exploring ways to incorporate lessons learned about flight operations and safety from commercial aviation to
healthcare. Mireles’s insight, flight experience, and knowledge about aviation safety reporting systems provide an
important advantage for the Foundation and its research agenda.
As a graduate and doctoral student at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Mireles was
active with student government, and he served on numerous high-level administrative committees for the
University, from American Disability Act, Multicultural Awareness, scholarships, and search for Executive Vice

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President of Public Affairs. In 1999-2000, he was elected President of the Student InterCouncil, the student
governing body of the University. During the same period, he concurrently was elected special advisor to the U.T.
Offices of the Chancellor and the Board of Regents. Last year, Mireles graduated from Leadership Houston, the
premiere leadership training program in Houston.
His military and academic training, administrative experiences as a student and as a board member to
community organizations, and leadership exposures qualify him to lead CRG Medical Foundation. Mireles is
Chief Administrator for the U.S. National Registry for Unused and Expired Medication, a databank he designed to
collect information about unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the home. He also is the principal
investigator for several studies, including a pilot study with Texas A&M University Rural and Community Health
Institute to capture the patient’s most recent experiences at the hospital, clinic or other healthcare facilities and a
study of hand functionality among cases of carpal tunnel syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
According to Mireles, “patient safety is an exciting research area that will direct healthcare and the medical
practice of the 21st Century.” “As we begin 2006, we now have a better appreciation of the enormity and challenges
of the dangers within our healthcare systems, and we are learning how to improve healthcare quality and patient
safety at the same time.” Mireles’s appointment as new president was made official at the meeting of the
Foundation’s Board, December 14, 2005.

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