Laura Townsend

On April 14, 2009, Laura’s Mom, Louise H. Batz went to have routine knee surgery. Her surgery was successful, but then after a series of oversights and medication errors on the General Floor, Louise went into respiratory depression and suffered an anoxic brain injury. 11 days later she passed away. In her honor, Laura and her family created the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation (Batz Foundation) in the summer of 2009. Laura Batz Townsend and her family have turned heartbreak and loss into the promise of improved safety for hospital patients in San Antonio and across the country. Laura grew up in the medical community of San Antonio, with five physicians in her family. Laura entered the sports marketing and sports grant management field, where she has worked for 13 years. That family medical background combined with Laura’s organizational and development skills equipped her family to create the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation in the hope that others could avoid the family tragedy they experienced upon the untimely loss of their mother. The mission of the Batz Foundation is to prevent medical errors by ensuring that patients and families have the knowledge they need for a safe hospital experience, and to support innovative advancements in patient safety. Our greatest hope is that patients, families, and caregivers will work together, as a team, to improve patient safety in our hospitals.