Posted on May 8, 2012 in Our Blog,Patient Care

The makers of an epilepsy drug that was later marketed as a treatment for schizophrenia as well as dementia-related agitation must pay $1.5 billion to settle a mass of lawsuits. The claims allege that Abbott Laboratories, producers of Depakote, pushed for sales of the drug to treat schizophrenia and dementia-related agitation, even though the drug… read more

Posted on April 13, 2012 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Public Safety

Do you ever ask yourself why milk is pasteurized? It isn’t some government plot; it’s because unpasteurized milk can contain E. coli 0157 bacteria. Cows naturally carry this bacteria in their intestinal tracts. Unfortunately, it can be fatal to humans. There are people who choose to drink raw milk, though, despite the possible dangers. The… read more

Posted on March 9, 2012 in Our Blog,Patient Care

There is no real happy ending for anyone involved in this case. Deborah and Ariel Levy sued Legacy Health System for “wrongful birth,” and today a jury sided with the couple, awarding them almost $3 million. When Deborah Levy was pregnant with a third child, she underwent prenatal tests to make sure there were no… read more

Posted on February 27, 2012 in Our Blog,Patient Care

I don’t think anyone would disagree that it is never a good idea to leave anything in an unattended vehicle, especially not anything of value, and especially not something of value to hundreds of thousands of people. Well, that is just what happened in 2006 when an employee of Providence Health Services drove a hospital… read more

Posted on August 4, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care

Anesthesiologist Frederick George Field was arrested late July on suspicion of sexually abusing two female patients who were under his care at the Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles. The incidents took place in 2007 and 2011 and allegedly involved touching in the genital area. The women were under anesthesia during the incidents and were… read more

Posted on July 6, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

The “July effect” is not sunburn or dehydration but instead refers to the increase in fatalities and medical mishaps at teaching hospitals.Why? Well, a batch of new and inexperienced residents hits teaching hospitals every July. According to a study by the Journal of General Internal Medicine, teaching hospitals can see a 10 percent increase in… read more

Posted on June 22, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care

Did you know there is a statewide patient safety program that requires hospitals to notify in writing any patient affected by a serious medical error? Well, neither do a lot of the hospitals! The Oregonian just reported that this “required” written notification took place less than half the time. In fact, of the 80 cases… read more

Posted on June 3, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care

Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, is losing an emergency room doctor. Dr. Jovan Ojdrovic has worked at Sacred Heart for 23 years but has decided to retire because he believes patient care and safety are being sacrificed for profit. These changes, Ojdrovic says, have happened over the past three years. Administration has put… read more

Posted on May 20, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care

The popular prescription diabetes drug Avandia will only be available in very limited distribution as of November 18, 2011. Avandia has been on the market for more than a decade, but a 2007 study indicated that it increased heart attack risk in patients with type 2 diabetes by about 40 percent. Also in 2007 David… read more

Posted on April 26, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

There’s a new measurement tool in town for assessing hospital errors and safety, and it’s finding that there are more errors than we originally thought. In fact, according to this tool, a third of patients in the U.S. will be victims of a medical error during hospital stays. The new tool was developed at the… read more