RI hospital faces third fine for wrong-side brain surgery

What should be a never event seems to be a "sometimes" event at one Rhode Island facility. Rhode Island Hospital has just been fined $50,000 and reprimanded by the state Department of Health after a physician performed brain surgery on the wrong side of a patient's head for the third time this year. Rhode Island Hospital, which is owned by Lifespan, is a teaching hospital for Brown University.

Two of the patients receiving wrong-side surgery suffered no apparent injuries, but one, who received brain surgery in August, died a few weeks later. In the wake of the fines, the hospital has issued a statement saying that it is re-evaluating its policies and training, tightening up supervision and giving nurses the power to flag procedural violations.

To find out more about the problems at Rhode Island Hospital:
- read this Associated Press piece

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