medical center
Medical error claims life of second patient at Kaiser facility
Health officials in California revealed a second death of a patient at a Kaiser Permanente hospital involving a serious medical error. A 12 year old girl died at Santa Clara Medical Center after receiving a double dose of epinephrine. Last week, it was announced that a patient in San Jose died after being injected with the wrong chemotherapy drug. The hospitals said they will adopt new guidelines approved by the California intended to prevent such mistakes.
- see this article from The San Francisco Chronicle
International study finds medical error rates higher in US
Patients in the US are more likely to experience serious medical errors than their counterparts in other industrialized countries, a new Commonwealth Foundation sponsored study published in Health Affairs argues. Researchers found that medical errors are a serious issue from Canada to the UK, but noted that rates are slightly higher in the US. The study also examines international differences in physician-patient communication, pain management, timely access to care, care for …
... Read more...Consultant admits it knew of problems at King/Drew
Navigant, the hospital management specialist which took over the management of day-to-day operations at troubled Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, has admitted it failed to inform regulators of two serious incidents at the hospital. The Los Angeles Times reports that officials at the consulting company have admitted that they learned of the incidents -- one of which involved the death of a patient after nurses failed to respond to a bed side alarm -- but did …
... Read more...King/Drew problems continue with another patient death
The Los Angeles Times reports that a seventh patient has died at King/Drew Medical Center under circumstances which are described as "highly unusual." A patient in the hospital's cardiac unit died in March when nurses ignored monitor alarms indicating he was having problems for an "extended period of time." An anonymous tipster reported the incident to authorities last month. In an unrelated incident, the paper reports an orthopedic surgeon at the facility is in trouble after …
... Read more...LA County may outsource King-Drew operations
The Los Angeles Times reports that local officials are seriously weighing outsourcing all operations at Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center after the latest round of problems at the troubled institution. Navigant Consulting, a firm brought in to right problems at the facility, has made little progress and has itself been accused of malfeasance. Authorities are considering closing the hospital temporarily or possibly ordering it shut down for good. That, of course, would …
... Read more...Consulting company may have overbilled King/Drew
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles a county audit has found that the consulting company hired to turn around troubled King/Drew Medical Center after years of mismanagement is in trouble of its own. Auditors concluded that Navigant Consulting may have billed the hospital for hours its employees were off-site and for time in which several took vacations. Navigant was awarded a $13.4 million contract to turn King/Drew around last year. News of the audit's findings provoked a sharp response. One …
... Read more...St. Luke's weighs merger plans with Houston hospitals
Faced with financial pressures, some hospitals are embracing strategic alliances with local competitors. The Houston Chronicle reports that St. Luke's Episcopal Medical Center in Houston is in talks with several area hospitals about a possible merger. In scenario A, St. Luke's would merge with Hermann Memorial. In scenario B, Texas Children's Hospital and Methodist Hospital would team up to buy St. Luke's. Officials are expected to reach a decision in in the next few …
... Read more...Study suggests low-fat diet can guard against cancer
Breast cancer patients are less likely to suffer a recurrence of their tumors if they adopt a low-fat diet, according to a study released yesterday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Orlando. The study, which was led by the Harbor Medical Center's Rowan Chlebowski, is the first to find that lifestyle changes can help a patient improve their chances of survival. It is also the first to provide concrete evidence that a diet can help fight cancer. "Many breast cancer …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: Drew/King physicians fired;Drug responsible for fireman's recovery?; and much more...
> Too little, too late? Embattled Drew/King Medical Center in Los Angeles says it is firing three physicians accused of misconduct. Story
> Could a drug cocktail have been responsible for a miracle turnaround in the case of a New York fireman in a vegetative state? …
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