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A Canadian doctor recently mistakenly removed the lymph nodes from a patient who was only supposed to have a routine lumpectomy. But the hospital administrator is taking the blame.
According to CEO David Musyj, the Windsor Regional Hospital’s pathology department mixed up the test results of two women – one healthy and one in an advanced stage of breast cancer. “As CEO, I’m the one responsible if policies and procedures are not followed. This happened on my watch. I’m responsible, not the surgeon,” Musyj said.
However, this is not the first mistake Dr. Barbara Heartwell has made in the operating room. The Huffington Canada reported that in 2009, Dr. Heartwell mistakenly removed a breast from a healthy woman. That case ended in a $2.2 million lawsuit.
In that case, Heartwell misread a pathology report that stated the woman’s breast lump was non-cancerous. While investigating that case, the hospital discovered that another patient had received an unneeded mastectomy in 2001 under Heartwell’s care. At this point, she left the operating room of her own free will.
But later, she changed her mind and asked to be allowed to operate again. The hospital responded by suspending her. But for some reason, the same hospital board of directors allowed Hartwell to operate again, reinstating her privileges in March 2011.
While Musyj has taken the blame for Heartwell’s latest surgical mistake, an investigation is ongoing. At this time, Musyj said the pathologist who made the error has taken time off. He says the worker is “a good worker with no history” and that she is “remorseful and distraught”.
Last month, the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) held its annual meeting at a Nashville airport area hotel, and a major topic of discussion was national healthcare reform. At the April 2012 meeting, doctors were said to be keeping an eye on the current healthcare reform actions in Washington.
The TMA’s executive vice president Russ Miller said, “All eyes are on Washington.” He was referring to the current challenge to healthcare reform being heard by the Supreme Court.
The TMA is a very powerful lobbyist in the Tennessee state government. They have successfully backed medical malpractice reforms in the state that have capped the amount paid out for pain and suffering of patients.
In addition, they were able to enact tougher rules surrounding the filing of medical malpractice lawsuits. According to the April 14 edition of the Tennessean, malpractice lawsuits must now be “certified as to their merits by an independent expert within 90 days of a lawsuit being filed.” This has cut the number of malpractice lawsuits by about 38% over the last four years.
Some attorneys feel that the TMA should spend more time improving the overall quality of Tennessee’s healthcare system and less lobbying for reductions in the rights of patients in the state.
Meanwhile, the TMA remains concerned about what will ultimately be decided about the future of health care in this country. The outgoing president, Dr. Michael Minch, expressed concern about what effect the Supreme Court ruling might have on the financial status of doctors in the state.
He said, “For employers, you don’t know what costs for insurance will be. You don’t know whether that mandate [requiring Americans to buy health insurance as a key part of the new law] will go into effect. You’re very cautious to hire anybody.”
According to a recent report by the Tennessean, Middle Tennessee hospitals are more willing to admit their mistakes and change the way they do business to better serve their patients.
Middle Tennessee hospitals have reported over 12 serious medical errors in Tennessee over the past three years. According to national statistics, another 80 errors were never reported.
These numbers have prompted the region’s hospitals to rethink how they deal with these errors. Rather than trying to cover the mistakes to avoid lawsuits, or simply punishing personnel and going back to business as usual, these Tennessee hospitals are looking into causes and solutions.
Nashville’s Baptist Hospital has begun this new way of dealing with mistakes. In 2009, a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit died when a nurse mistook the feeding and IV lines. The hospital took a proactive stance and studied the causes for the mistake.
As a result, the tubing is now color-coded and nurses have changed the way they check the lines. Other changes have taken place at Baptist Hospital as well:
As many as 20 vehicles crashed in a three-mile straight along I-75 in northern Tennessee on February 19, 2012. According to Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. Stacy Heartherly, the crashes occurred in “near white-out conditions” caused by snowfall and fog. One youth was reported as seriously injured.
The February snowstorm, one that some are calling the “first real winter storm”, dumped a much as nine inches of snow in some areas as it worked its way across the southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.
Other states experienced road accidents as well. The Winston-Salem Journal reported dozens of car accidents caused by snow, sleet and rain in North Carolina. In Virginia, a two-car crash on I-95 sent one man to the hospital with critical injuries and closed the northbound lanes.
In addition, power lines were reported down in southern Virginia and West Virginia. About 23,000 Kentucky homes were also without power over the weekend into Monday.
While no one can ever be prepared for winter snowstorms, the Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) offers some tips for winter driving to reduce Tennessee auto accidents. TDOS Commissioner Fred Phillips reminds all motorists that, “Winter driving can turn dangerous in a matter of moments. By being prepared, driving defensively and obeying Tennessee’s motor vehicle laws, motorists can reach their destinations safely.
TDOS urges motorists to prepare for the winter season by making sure their vehicles are running smoothly, to always fill the tank with gas before hitting the road, to drive slower than normal in bad conditions and to stay off the roads altogether if possible when winter storms hit.
A Madison County young woman was pronounced dead at the scene of a tragic Tennessee accident on February 11, 2012. Driving under the influence and vehicular homicide charges are leveled at the driver of the car she was riding in.
Early Saturday morning at 3:00 a.m., Matthew D. Richardson, 21, lost control of his Dodge Ram pickup truck at the intersection of Cotton Grove and Leepers Lane. His passenger, Humboldt resident Misty Dawn Poteete, 21, was killed instantly in the accident when the truck overturned and ejected both occupants, who were reportedly not wearing seatbelts.
Richardson was treated at Jackson Madison County Hospital and released to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, while Poteet’s body rests at the Nashville Medical Examiner’s office until the cause of death is determined.
Richardson appeared in General Sessions Court on Monday before Judge Hugh Harvey. He is being held without bond on several charges: driving under the influence, vehicular homicide and violation of a Community Corrections probation warrant.
Richardson is not unknown to police. His rap sheet includes theft and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Poteete’s mother, Pamela, told WBBJ Eyewitness News that she hopes the accident will serve as a reminder to other young people. She said, “Please don’t drink and drive because you’re going to take away somebody’s little angel.”
She added that when Richardson arrived to pick up her daughter to go to a club, “He seemed very polite and he told me not to worry about Missy and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He didn’t keep that promise.”
A Memphis man is dead and his nephew faces charges following a deadly January 31, 2012 car accident. The Memphis Police Department reported that the accident occurred at about 1:00 a.m. at the intersection of Haynes and Barron. There they found a 2012 Camaro crashed into a vacant Orange Mound home.
The passenger, James J. Robinson, 25, was pronounced dead at the Regional Medical Center shortly after the wreck. The man identified as the driver, 21-year-old Jeremy L. Burns, was found critically injured lying outside the car. The hospital has listed Burns in serious condition.
Several questions remain in this Memphis accident. First, Burns told police that he thought he had been shot, but no gunshot wounds were found on him or Robinson. In addition, police found a revolver in the car and hospital personnel reported that a bag of marijuana fell out of Burns’ pocket.
Another question deals with the fact that two different stories are being told about the accident. According to the family, James Robinson was Burns’ uncle. Robinson’s brother, James Ross, said that he believes that the police were chasing the Camaro and caused the car to plow into the house.
Ross states that the police told his mother that they had spotted the Camaro a few blocks away, exceeding the speed limit. He added, “The police told my mom they was doing 40 or 45 in a 30 or 35 zone.” He says he has no idea why his family members would be running from the police.
However, the Memphis police maintain that they simply responded to the crash and there was no chase.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues and there is no word on whether or not Jeremy Burns has been charged.
Jeff Fisher, 17-year veteran coach of the Tennessee Titans, was on his way home in Brentwood, Tennessee, just days after he was hired as head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Fisher saw a car leave the road, hit a telephone pole and flip over. He stopped immediately to help. The accident happened Sunday evening, January 14, 2012, on Holly Tree Gap Road.
He and other passing motorists found two teenagers at the scene of the serious accident. The 17-year-old driver of the Nissan Altima was treated and released, but his 14-year-old passenger did not fare as well. He was rushed to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
Fisher, who was interviewed by telephone after the accident by the local ABC news channel, said that he saw the wreck happen and pulled over. He and other concerned motorists stayed with the crash victims until emergency personnel arrived on the scene.
The segment of Holly Tree Gap Road where the accident occurred is a particularly dangerous one. There is no shoulder on that stretch and both sides drop off.
According to Brentwood Police Sgt. Jeff Moorehead, the cause of the crash has not been determined, but other authorities say there was no sign of either drugs or alcohol. Moorehead did say that speed might have been a factor.
Moorehead added that he greatly appreciated the actions of Jeff Fisher and the others who stopped to help. “Anything to calm them down and advise us while we are on the way helps everyone,” he said.
The middle Tennessee auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer wish the injured teens a speedy and complete recovery.
On January 11, 2012, a deadly Memphis car accident involving a police cruiser and a passenger car killed one woman and injured her son and two police officers.
The 18-year-old son of Mervat Abdelrahman Almalhi, who was the passenger in the right front seat, drove the civilian car, a Mitsubishi Galant. They were traveling north on Austin Peay and in the process of making a left-hand turn when their vehicle struck the southbound police cruiser. The mother died; her son suffered non-critical injuries.
Memphis Police Department spokesperson Karen Rudolph said, “According to witnesses, both had green lights, but the civilian’s car made a left-hand turn in front of the officer’s. The front end of the squad car struck the side of the vehicle. It hit the passenger side.”
Two officers were riding in the police cruiser at the time of the accident. One was still in the hospital the day after the accident, waiting to see if he would need surgery. The other officer was released from the hospital with less serious injuries.
When the accident occurred, the police car was on its way to a disturbance call but was not running its lights or speeding. When the Galant pulled in front of the cruiser to make the left, the police car hit the passenger side of the smaller vehicle.
There are no citations at this point, but the investigation will continue.
The Memphis auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer offersincere condolences to the families of the deceased and injured.
In October 2010, 16-year-old Greenville teen Joe Polakiewicz was nearly killed in a Tennessee car accident. In January, he spoke in Washington, D.C about his brush with death and the vital importance of teen safety.
Accompanied by his mother Nancy, Joe told his story at an Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety press conference. He recalled his accident, one in which he looked away from the road while traveling to see a friend, and ran into a tree head-on.
“My spleen and left kidney had to be removed. I had fractures in my vertebrae, ribs and pelvis and my urethra was severed from my bladder,” he told the assembly. While he has no memory of the accident, he credits the quick action of emergency responders in saving his life.
Joe and his mother were invited to speak to the group as advocates for teen safety. The ninth annual safety report, “The 2012 Roadmap to State Highway Safety Laws” was released at the conference. Tennessee was cited as one of the 18 safest states in the U.S. in the report.
But the Polakiewicz mother and son want Tennessee to be even safer. So, they advocate for teen driver safety and continue to push for teen driver restrictions.
Mother Nancy sums it up, “I just feel Joe’s survival is a miracle and maybe he survived for a reason. I need to tell his story to prevent others going through that.”
The Memphis auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer would like to commend both mother and son for their dedication to Tennessee auto safety.
The Commercial Appeal and other news outlets are reporting that Blake Rosenberg, the driver of a Ford F-150 that crashed early on Sunday morning has been charged with a DUI and reckless driving. The one vehicle wreck happened around 7:00 a.m. on Whitten Road near Interstate 40. The passenger of the vehicle, whose name has not been released, was declared dead at the scene.
Mr. Rosenberg was transported to the Regional Medical Center for treatment and is in critical condition. Mr. Rosenberg, a former Arlington High School Baseball player, apparently told police that he fell asleep behind the wheel before eventually admitting to drinking alcohol.
UPDATE: Jan. 17, 2012, 4:00 p.m.
The victim in this deadly crash has been identified as Michael Pryor, age 20. More details have also been released about the accident. The vehicle left the road, struck large rocks and ultimately hit a tree. There were no signs that the driver tried to use his breaks.
The Shelby County auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer have seen firsthand the devastating effects of drinking and driving. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Pryor.
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