Guest guest Posted September 5, 2003 Report Share Posted September 5, 2003 Hi Percy, Your message came to the " list moderator " , rather than the message board itself. I'm forwarding it onto the list, so that others will see it and may have some suggestions for you. That address is pancreatitis Sorry to hear you had such a hard time dealing with the ER. I'm glad you have been able to find some more compassionate health care providers now that you have been moved onto the ward. The whole topic about what can be done about incidents of sub-standard levels of care was a prominent topic at 4th Annual Symposium on Pancreatitis that was held here in Indianapolis last week, especially during the session on Pain Management, which was led by Dr. Neil Irick. I think your first instinct about reporting this incident to JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) was/is the correct thing to do, both for your own sake, and to help future patients who will be seen there. You will need to decide for yourself if it is more prudent to wait until you are discharged to do that. The incidents that ocurred are extremely unfortunate, but at this point, you need to concentrate on recovering, which generally means reducing stress levels in any/all ways possible. Of course, if the level of care you are receiving continues to be sub-par, that will also be a major source of stress. You are the only one that can decide the trade-off between pursuing this further now, and waiting until after this hospital stay is completed. JCAHO does have both a website and a toll-free hotline number to file complaints: website http://www.jcaho.org e-mail: complaint@... fax: Office of Quality Monitoring Toll-free phone #: (for questions about how to file a complaint) Here's some info from the JCAHO website about how they handle complaints: " How The Joint Commission Responds To Complaints The Joint Commission encourages you to first bring your complaint to the attention of the health care organization's leaders. If this does not lead to resolution, bring your complaint to us for review. The Joint Commission's response to a complaint begins with a review of past complaints about the organization, if any, and the organization's accreditation survey report. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Joint Commission will take one or more of the following actions: - Where serious concerns have been raised about patient safety or standards compliance, the Joint Commission will conduct an unannounced, on-site evaluation of the organization - The Joint Commission may ask the health care organization to provide a written response to the complaint - The Joint Commission may incorporate the complaint in the quality monitoring database that is used to continuously track the performance of health care organizations over time. - The Joint Commission may review the complaint at the time of the health care organization's next scheduled accreditation survey if it is scheduled in the near future. For more information about how the Joint Commission analyzes and follows up on complaints, see the Quality Incident Review Criteria. After the Joint Commission completes its review of a complaint, we inform the complainant of the actions we have taken. " Take care of yourself, and let us know the ultimate outcome. --Tull tull3942@... Assistant Moderator Pancreatitis Association, Int'l >Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 07:51:55 -0700 (PDT) > >Subject: Need Help Desperately >To: pancreatitis Moderator <pancreatitis-owner > > >Hello Group, > > It's Percy in Dallas again with another ER horror story. On the 2nd of >this month had to make another trip to the ER at Methodist Hospital Dallas. >I was made to wait what seemen to be an extrordinary amount of time to be seen. >Once I was finally given a bed I was approached by the first tech. who was >supposed to start an IV, after the usual pleas of where to get a good stick >the first tech gave up and sent in another tech who had to stick at least two >more times. I told them of my last visit to this particular hosptial and let >them know that I would have the Joint Commission investigate them but that >only seemed to aggravate them more than me telling them where a possible good >site would be. I told them that a central line in my neck would be the most >probable place that they would even get blood but, after all my pleas >they called in a doctor who thought a femural would be better ( anyone who >has ever had one of these knows how painful it is) and they seemed to delight >in proceeding to do so. The procedure failed miserably, there was blood >everywhere and the doctor gave up on the femural, all the time he and the two >techs' were laughing and talking about a baseball game with in >it. He decided to try my neck and after repeatedly telling me that I wasn't >in pain and to stop screaming he punctured my right lung and it collasped, I >am still in the hospital as I write this correspondence. I feel as though >this should be a case of malpractice but after a few calls to attorneys no-one >seems to be interested in the case. The doctors on my floor had to undo the >mess the ER doctor did yesterday, and put in a new central line. Every time >I coughed the right side of my abdomin would fill up with air to add to the >pain that I am still feeling from my attack. They are telling me that they >are going to wait over the weekend to see if the hole in my lung will heal >itself if not they will have to do surgery to seal it up. I am at their mercy >it seems. Could someone please help me in figuring out what actions I should >take? I am afraid that If I cause waves I may get treated even worse. >Please make no mistake though there are quite a few good people here taking >care of me but they are in no positions to challenge the " higher up's " . It's >ironic that If only my pain clinic would prescribe me a breakthrough medicine >for pain my lung would still be intack. Someone please advise. No one >should be treated this way > >Percy (214)274-1719 cell >(214)947-1023 Hospital Rm # Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2003 Report Share Posted September 5, 2003 Dear Percy: I am so sorry at what you are going through! I am literally sitting here with tears comign down my face because of what I am reading. Please keep trying to find an attorney. But, the other thing I would do is I would write their Risk Management Department a letter just like you wrote this one, same wording everything. Risk Management is their attorneys at the hospital. You may not see the reaction and they may not act to you like they care but believe me a letter will shake them up. Also, when you are out of there, please go and get your medical records for yourself. They may tell you you have to pay for them (they can do that). They may say you can't have them at all (they can't do that), you have to stand your ground! You need to ask specifically for waht reports you want or they will send you a couple page of a discharge summray and that is it. So in your request ask for the following: 1. All Emergency Room reports, lab work, radiology reports, procedure reports, etc. 2. History and physical report. 3. Consultation reports by all physicians. 4. All operative and/or procedure reports. 5. All lab and blood work. 6. All radiology, nuclear medicine, special procedures, ultrasound reports etc. (that will cover CT scans, etc) 7. The discharge summary. (they have so long to do that after you are discharged so they might not have that right away. Get the rest and then go back and get it if you have to). 8. Ask for nursing notes, you might get em, you might not. They don't usually give those out willingly. I have some on some of my admission only because the medical records clerk didn't know what she was doing. If they ask you whwat you want with them, tell em you are taking them to another doctor and you have to take them with you. (they will want to mail them or give you that line of bull). I always would tell em I had to be there the next day or something like that. They cannot refuse to give you your records. But they can charge you and sometimes they do that thinking you will change your mind. If for another doctor, they are less likely to charge you. Again, keep trying about that malpractice attorney. I have been through this stuff before and it is a hassle but care like this should never ever be overlooked. One reason the attorneys might be ignoring you is because puncturing a lung is a " known " side effect of having a central line put in. But if these folks were laughing and goofing off, etc. etc. that is another story. Also, please PLEASE send what you have written to us and more if need be to the joint commission! The hospitals can get very cocky but they are terrified of joint commission. I would also mention in my letter to risk management that a copy of that was going to the joint commission. Let they know you mean business. First of all I wish you improved health and healing from this atest assault on you body. Please let me know if you need any help with anything pertaining to all of this. God bless Kaye in NC In pancreatitis , tull@f... wrote: > Hi Percy, > > Your message came to the " list moderator " , rather than the message board > itself. I'm forwarding it onto the list, so that others will see it and > may have some suggestions for you. That address is > pancreatitis > > Sorry to hear you had such a hard time dealing with the ER. I'm glad > you have been able to find some more compassionate health care providers now > that you have been moved onto the ward. > > The whole topic about what can be done about incidents of sub- standard levels > of care was a prominent topic at 4th Annual Symposium on Pancreatitis that > was held here in Indianapolis last week, especially during the session > on Pain Management, which was led by Dr. Neil Irick. > > I think your first instinct about reporting this incident to JCAHO (Joint > Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) was/is the correct > thing to do, both for your own sake, and to help future patients who will be > seen there. You will need to decide for yourself if it is more prudent to > wait until you are discharged to do that. The incidents that ocurred are > extremely unfortunate, but at this point, you need to concentrate on > recovering, which generally means reducing stress levels in any/all ways > possible. Of course, if the level of care you are receiving continues to > be sub-par, that will also be a major source of stress. You are the only > one that can decide the trade-off between pursuing this further now, and > waiting until after this hospital stay is completed. > > JCAHO does have both a website and a toll-free hotline number to file > complaints: > > website http://www.jcaho.org > e-mail: complaint@j... > fax: Office of Quality Monitoring > Toll-free phone #: (for questions about how to file a complaint) > > Here's some info from the JCAHO website about how they handle complaints: > > " How The Joint Commission Responds To Complaints > > The Joint Commission encourages you to first bring your complaint to the > attention of the health care organization's leaders. If this does not lead > to resolution, bring your complaint to us for review. > > The Joint Commission's response to a complaint begins with a review of past > complaints about the organization, if any, and the organization's > accreditation survey report. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the > Joint Commission will take one or more of the following actions: > > - Where serious concerns have been raised about patient safety or standards > compliance, the Joint Commission will conduct an unannounced, on-site > evaluation of the organization > > - The Joint Commission may ask the health care organization to provide a > written response to the complaint > > - The Joint Commission may incorporate the complaint in the quality > monitoring database that is used to continuously track the performance > of health care organizations over time. > > - The Joint Commission may review the complaint at the time of the health > care organization's next scheduled accreditation survey if it is scheduled > in the near future. > > For more information about how the Joint Commission analyzes and follows up > on complaints, see the Quality Incident Review Criteria. > > After the Joint Commission completes its review of a complaint, we inform the > complainant of the actions we have taken. " > > Take care of yourself, and let us know the ultimate outcome. > > --Tull > tull3942@y... > Assistant Moderator > Pancreatitis Association, Int'l > > > >Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 07:51:55 -0700 (PDT) > >From: percy thomas <percythomas2000@y...> > >Subject: Need Help Desperately > >To: pancreatitis Moderator <pancreatitis-owner > > > > >Hello Group, > > > > It's Percy in Dallas again with another ER horror story. On the 2nd of > >this month had to make another trip to the ER at Methodist Hospital Dallas. > >I was made to wait what seemen to be an extrordinary amount of time to be seen. > >Once I was finally given a bed I was approached by the first tech. who was > >supposed to start an IV, after the usual pleas of where to get a good stick > >the first tech gave up and sent in another tech who had to stick at least two > >more times. I told them of my last visit to this particular hosptial and let > >them know that I would have the Joint Commission investigate them but that > >only seemed to aggravate them more than me telling them where a possible good > >site would be. I told them that a central line in my neck would be the most > >probable place that they would even get blood but, after all my pleas > >they called in a doctor who thought a femural would be better ( anyone who > >has ever had one of these knows how painful it is) and they seemed to delight > >in proceeding to do so. The procedure failed miserably, there was blood > >everywhere and the doctor gave up on the femural, all the time he and the two > >techs' were laughing and talking about a baseball game with in > >it. He decided to try my neck and after repeatedly telling me that I wasn't > >in pain and to stop screaming he punctured my right lung and it collasped, I > >am still in the hospital as I write this correspondence. I feel as though > >this should be a case of malpractice but after a few calls to attorneys no-one > >seems to be interested in the case. The doctors on my floor had to undo the > >mess the ER doctor did yesterday, and put in a new central line. Every time > >I coughed the right side of my abdomin would fill up with air to add to the > >pain that I am still feeling from my attack. They are telling me that they > >are going to wait over the weekend to see if the hole in my lung will heal > >itself if not they will have to do surgery to seal it up. I am at their mercy > >it seems. Could someone please help me in figuring out what actions I should > >take? I am afraid that If I cause waves I may get treated even worse. > >Please make no mistake though there are quite a few good people here taking > >care of me but they are in no positions to challenge the " higher up's " . It's > >ironic that If only my pain clinic would prescribe me a breakthrough medicine > >for pain my lung would still be intack. Someone please advise. No one > >should be treated this way > > > >Percy (214)274-1719 cell > >(214)947-1023 Hospital Rm # Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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