Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Inpatient with Missed Med Has Heart Attack


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Staff at a Pottsville hospital failed to provide a patient with a prescribed drug and five days after admission he suffered a heart attack.
The hospital's failure earned it a citation from the state Health Department which issued a report on the October incident last week.
According to that report, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital - Schuylkill on Oct. 10 suffering from hypotension and a urinary tract infection. On Oct. 15 the patient complained of chest pains and was found to have suffered a heart attack.
A review of the patient records by state Health Department surveyors showed that during those five days the patient was not given a previously prescribed medication.
According to the report the 129 bed hospital "failed to ensure prior to admission medications had been reviewed by the nurse and the provider for MR1 (the patient)."
The admitting nurse, the report continues, was required to review with the patient and the family all medications.
"The provider has the primary responsibility of assuring the patient's medications," the report continues.
A plan of correction filed by the hospital calls for staff to be notified by memo of the responsibility to conduct a complete medication review at the time of admission. Under the plan audits will be conducted for three months to ensure compliance.
Hospital officials did not respond to a series of questions including whether the patient recovered from the heart attack.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com







Monday, January 27, 2020

Jefferson Cited In Patient Assault Probe


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

State health officials have concluded Thomas Jefferson University Hospital mishandled the investigation of a complaint filed by a patient who charged that she had been sexually assaulted by a hospital worker just after she had undergone a lengthy neurosurgical procedure.
In a report made public last week state Health Department surveyors concluded hospital officials violated state and federal requirements when they made a delayed and incomplete response to the patient.
The patient's allegations led to the arrest on sexual assault charges of the now former Jefferson employee. Rafael Alicea is due to appear Thursday in Philadelphia Circuit Court for a hearing on the multiple charges.
David Mischak, Alicea's attorney, said his client has an outstanding character reputation and adamantly asserts his innocence."
The victim, who has also filed a civil suit against Jefferson, has charged that following a nine hour surgery in January of last year the male employee assigned to transport her from the recovery room to her room, caressed her breasts and kissed her neck and ears.
She charged that he continued the assault when they arrived in her room.
According to the Health Department report, Jefferson officials failed to report the incident to state officials within 24-hours and then failed to inform the patient of the results of their investigation. Nor did they provide her with the name of a contact person, as is also required.
"The hospital must provide the patient with written notice of its decision and the steps taken in behalf of the patient," the report states.
The Health Department began its investigation on July 18 and completed its probe by Sept. 19, but did not make its report public until last week.
According to the report, Jefferson did not file an acceptable plan of correction. The hospital did not respond to a request for comment.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Monday, January 20, 2020

Two PA Hospitals Cited on Privacy


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Two major Philadelphia hospitals have been cited by state surveyors for requiring all suicidal patients in their emergency departments to wear distinctive blue jumpsuits even when being transported elsewhere in the facility.
In twin complaint inspections at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and the Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania state surveyors questioned workers at both facilities who acknowledged that the jumpsuits were required wear for patients at risk for suicide.
State surveyors visited both facilities on Sept. 26. Both reports were dated Oct. 23, but only were made public last week,
Neither hospital has filed an acceptable plan of correction, according to the state reports. Both are part of University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Health system officials did not respond to requests for comment.
A patient has a right to every consideration of his privacy concerning his own medical condition," the report states
"The survey team was provided with a blue jumpsuit by Employee One," the Penn-Presbyterian report states, adding that the surveyors were informed that this was the required dress for suicidal patients in the emergency department.
The health department workers were told that the use of the blue jumpsuits made it easy for hospital workers to distinguish suicidal patients from the others.
Even security workers questioned by surveyors at the facility knew that the patients in the blue jumpsuits were considered suicidal.
At the Pennsylvania Hospital, the state investigators reviewed multiple patient records in which patients considered a suicide risk had been required to don the distinctive blue garments.
The records showed that when those patients were transported to other departments, they still were required to wear the jumpsuits.
Patients deemed suicide risks "are made to understand that wearing a blue jumpsuit is not optional but an emergency department requirement," the state inspectors were told.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com