ORLANDO, Fla. -- Each year, 100,000 people die from medical mistakes. The causes are medical errors by doctors, nurses, pharmacists and technicians. That's why hospitals here in Orlando have signed up to be part of the 100,000 Lives campaign.

It wasn't the car accident that put Gary Smithson in a wheelchair. It's what happened in the emergency room.

"They put a catheter in, and it came back positive," said Gary.

It was positive for an infection Gary will have for the rest of his life. He's one of more than a million people this year who will go into the hospital with one problem and come out with another.

"Every doctor, every nurse, every pharmacist, every therapist, sees mistakes every day," said Dr. Donald Berwick of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Hospitals are now taking steps to disclose mistakes, apologize, and then change the system so it doesn't happen again.

"The hospital never said anything," said Gary. "Nobody ever bothered to tell me I had it, much less that they gave it to me."

Gary is not alone. Only 42-percent of physicians say they would tell a patient a mistake was made, and just 37-percent would fix the problem so it wouldn't happen again. That's why hospitals are now trying to human-proof their system.

"Systems can help resolve human error," said Dr. Berwick.

But only 24-percent of hospitals keep electronic records. That is something that would help close the communication gap.

"The patient knows it, but the patient is kind of wondering how come you two are not communicating," said Dr. David Moorhead of Florida Hospital Orlando.

Hospitals are now creating trauma teams to respond to cardiac emergencies within seconds and posting any medical problems on their website.

"Hospitals across the country are in the process of being transformed," said Dr. Berwick.

A transformation that may end up saving more lives than pills can.

If a hospital is part of the 100,000 Lives campaign, it must post how many infections, mistakes and deaths the hospital is responsible for on its website.