Teoka Williams recently filed suit against Beaumont Health, located in Dearborn, Michigan, claiming the hospital violated the Civil Rights Act when it barred her from entering the room of a patient who’d complained about having a black nurse. According to the lawsuit, Williams overheard a patient in her care say she didn’t want a “black bitch”…
Following Hospital System Settlement With Feds, Three Doctors Step Up To Defend Reputations
When Michigan-based hospital system Beaumont Health recently announced a hefty settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the organization leadership undoubtedly expected their legal troubles were over. Instead, the subsequent unsealing of the provoking whistleblowers’ lawsuit has opened the not-for-profit health system up to a potential new challenge, as three cardiologists named in the legal…
CMS Reverses Plan To Scale Back On Infection Rate Reporting For Hospitals
Following an outcry from patient safety advocates, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) scrapped a plan that would have largely eliminated the requirement that hospitals report infection rates. The new rule announced last week maintains the practice of mandatory reporting for hospitals and public disclosure of the data. Leah Binder, CEO of the…
Suspect In Houston Surgeon’s Murder Kills Himself As Police Close In
Joseph James Pappas, recently identified as the lead suspect in the murder of Houston surgeon Mark Hausknecht, MD, was confronted by police late last week. Facing apprehension by law enforcement authorities, Pappas turned his weapon on himself and committed suicide, reports the Houston Chronicle. “The potential threat to the city from an accused murderer considered…
Man Whose Mother Died On The Operating Table Is Prime Suspect In Houston Surgeon’s Murder
Houston police this week named a suspect in the murder of Mark Hausknecht, MD, a surgeon who was fatally shot last month as he bicycled to work at Houston Methodist Hospital. Authorities identified the shooter as Joseph James Pappas, a 62-year-old white male who resides in Houston. It’s believed the motive is the death of…
Virginia Doctor Shown The Door Files $15 Million Suit Against Colleagues And Hospital Practice
A cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University has filed a $15 million defamation lawsuit against his employer and several colleagues. Tiziano Scarabelli, MD, PhD, claims his complaints about protocols that could compromise patient safety led to a concerted effort to drum up cause for firing him. “We have no comment on the pending litigation beyond stating…
New York City Agrees To $20.8 Million Settlement With Nurses
New York City this week announced a $20.8 million settlement with a group of nurses in a dispute stemming from a municipal policy about public employees’ access to retirement with full pension benefits. City workers employed in professions deemed “physically taxing” were allow to retire at the age of 50 — as long as they…
Federal Case Decided In Hospitals’ Favor Could Dramatically Alter Medicare Payments
Observers are speculating a recent federal appeals court decision could have a major impact on Medicare reimbursements moving forward, The New York Times reports. A ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit asserted that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been employing flawed data in…
Seattle Surgeon At Center Of Controversy Gets Medical License Reinstated
Following a year of legal battles, neurosurgeon Johnny Delashaw, MD, has had his medical license reinstated by the Washington Medical Commision, The Seattle Times reports. The physician’s license was suspended in May 2017 after his leadership was questioned due to a state investigation into practices in the neuroscience division of Seattle’s Cherry Hill, a hospital…
Colorado Jury Sides With Patient In Battle Over $229,000 Hospital Bill
In a court case being cited as among the first of its kind, a Colorado woman won a decision against the hospital that sued her for an enormous unpaid bill. According to The Denver Post, St. Anthony North Health Campus sought legal action against patient Lisa French, claiming she owed the facility $229,112.13 for spinal…
‘Dancing Doctor’ Agrees To Give Up Medical License For At Least 2.5 Years
Georgia plastic surgeon Windell Davis-Boutte, MD, who gained notoriety through videos that captured her dancing and singing along to music over surgical patients who were fully anesthetized, agreed to relinquish her medical license for at least two and half years, according to CNN. Davis-Boutte turned in a signed consent order to the Georgia Composite Medical…
Following Surgical Errors, Rhode Island Hospital Agrees To Spend Millions To Improve Safety
A Rhode Island hospital has reached an agreement with state health officials which will lead to facility upgrades and staff improvement measures totalling at least $1.7 million. Kent Hospital, located in Warwick, came under increased scrutiny from the Rhode Island Department of Health after four different significant surgical errors were reported over the course of six…
Strong Reactions As CMS Proposes To Curtail Infection Rate Reporting For Hospitals
Patient safety advocates who have examined a hefty new proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) say the agency is on course to eliminate data on infection rates from its quality reporting measures. Information on catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), Clostridium difficile (C. Diff), postoperative sepsis, and other healthcare associated infections…
Following Major Data Breach, MD Anderson Hit With $4.3 Million Penalty
This week, the federal government levied a fine of $4.3 million on the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for HIPAA violations stemming from major data breaches in 2012 and 2013. The theft of an employee’s laptop and two separate incidents involving misplaced thumb drives resulted in the potential exposure of the medical records of…
Iowa Supreme Court Allows Lawsuit Against Surgeon Who Didn’t Acknowledge His Inexperience
Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court gave the green light to a lawsuit against a surgeon and the Iowa Heart Center centering on a lack of communication about the physician’s experience level. The plaintiff claims the surgeon should have explained it was his inaugural attempt at the procedure performed. According to a report in the…
San Diego Hospital Runs Afoul Of State Officials For Unclean Surgical Equipment
Following an investigation by television station KGTV, leaders at UC San Diego Health conceded their surgical department came under fire from California Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials during a routine inspection earlier this year. Finding dirty sterilization equipment and discoloration on surgical instruments, the state assigned the label “Immediate Jeopardy,” a designation reserved for…
Minerva Surgical Calls For Retraction Of Study Funded By Competitor
In an unusual move, Minerva Surgical is bringing a corporate grievance into the research realm, calling upon Dove Medical Press to retract a study funded by a major rival. In a press release, Minerva Surgical cites perceived inaccuracies in a paper titled “Efficacy and patient satisfaction after NovaSure and Minerva endometrial ablation for treating abnormal…
Florida Surgical Center Administrator Arrested For Selling Stolen Medical Equipment
Florida police last week took into the custody the director of administration at Melbourne Same Day Surgery Center, alleging he was selling stolen surgical equipment on eBay. According to a report at Florida Today, Corey Hollmann established an eBay account with the username msds1035, apparently referencing Melbourne Same Day Surgery Center and its street address,…
Charging Copyright Violations, Microsoft Files Suit Against Community Health Systems
Community Health Systems, the enormous operator of healthcare facilities headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, has spent recent months trying to shore up its financials, largely by selling off hospitals. That process has led to Community Health Systems running afoul of one of the biggest companies in the world. Microsoft hit Community Health Systems with a lawsuit,…
Woman Who Lost Hands And Feet After Surgery Error Challenges Medical Malpractice Caps
A resident of Charlotte, North Carolina is challenging a state law that caps legal awards for medical malpractice cases at $500,000. In 2015, Adrienne Harris underwent surgery at Carolinas Medical Center-Main after she was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy and doctors recommended the removal of her fallopian tube. According to a lawsuit she recently filed,…
Proposed Wisconsin State Law Would Mandate Recording Of Surgeries
Video equipment is hardly a rarity in the modern OR, but a proposed law in the Wisconsin state legislature would put the presence of such devices on the books. Wisconsin Assembly Bill 863 gives patients the legal authority to insist that their surgeries be recorded on video, which advocates argue will improve patient safety and…
Court Awards Florida Woman $109 Million After Ovarian Cyst Surgery Goes Wrong
A Tampa jury last week delivered a hefty financial award to a woman who had her hands and feet amputated due to complications following surgery to remove a benign ovarian cyst. According to reporting in the Tampa Bay Times, Florida resident Lisa-Maria Carter was given an award in excess of $109 million in her lawsuit…
Kentucky Doctor Arrested After He Arrives At Hospital To Perform Surgery While Intoxicated
Kentucky plastic surgeon Theodore Gerstle, MD, was arrested by police earlier this week after he arrived at Baptist Health Lexington intending to perform a procedure while under the influence of alcohol. According to a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Gerstle checked into the hospital at approximately noon on Monday. Although Gerstle is not officially on the…
VA Sued Over Patient Who Died While Waiting For Surgery
The Department of Veteran Affairs is facing a lawsuit claiming that a delay in surgical treatment contributed to the death of George Walker, a 75-year-old diagnosed with aortic stenosis. Walker was treated within the VA Puget Health Care System. After a few days of treatment and tests, he received his diagnosis on June 24 and…
Feds Clarify Rules About Texting Medical Info
Doctors and other healthcare professionals are expected to demonstrate increasing adeptness with all manner of digital communication and recordkeeping but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently cautioned against being too cavalier with one of the most commonplace means of swapping information: texting. In a memorandum issued shortly before the new year, CMS…