(4/28/2004) - The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported that on April 27, N.J. Gov. Jim McGreevey signed the new Patient Safety Act into law. Under the law, all health-care facilities in New Jersey must now report medical errors under the April 27 by Gov. McGreevey.

According to the Inquirer, the new law also gives medical workers legal protection when they report problems at hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities.

According to the Inquirer, state health officials are now required to collect the data and identify trends so that problems can be addressed statewide. Health officials estimate that between 44,000 and 98,000 patients in the United States die each year due to preventable medical errors, the Inquirer reports.