The World Health Organization launched an international drive to reduce the number of preventable medical errors. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will play a leading role in the drive, which seeks to use best practices to eliminate preventable mistakes. While researchers say that up to 100,000 Americans die every year because of preventable medical mistakes, nobody is really sure how many are lost on a global basis. Supporters say simple steps could save thousands of lives. Story