Posted on April 7, 2011 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

Legacy Health of Portland implemented a new initiative two years ago with the aim of lowering infection rates and patient deaths, and it looks like they have succeeded. According to an article in the Oregonian, infection rates have dropped by about 45 percent, and patient deaths declined about 14 percent over the past two years…. read more

Posted on November 19, 2010 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

We’ve blogged before about cases of neglect and worse in nursing homes across the country. Recently a Kentucky family won $42.75 million in a lawsuit against a nursing home. The lawsuit argued that severe neglect by the nursing home caused the death of the family’s 92-year-old father. The patient stayed at the nursing home for… read more

Posted on September 7, 2010 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

My husband had surgery recently, and we were really impressed with the entire hospital staff. Everyone was really helpful, friendly, and efficient. Each person who saw my husband checked his identification wrist band, and everything seemed well organized. Though we had a good experience, I couldn’t help but think about how many individual people were… read more

Posted on November 19, 2009 in Medical Malpractice,Nursing Homes,Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

Sorry, but here’s another nightmare story about an elderly patient who suffered extreme neglect at the nursing home paid to care for her. Alice Train suffered from dementia and diabetes but was otherwise mobile when she entered the Evergreen Milton-Freewater Health and Rehabilitation Center. Her condition dangerously deteriorated in less than two months and, according… read more

Posted on August 25, 2009 in General,Our Blog,Patient Care

A recent story in USA Today outlines the decline in the number of doctors practicing family medicine. Apparently medical students and doctors think specializing will bring more money and perhaps more prestige than entering primary care. The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that the percentage of medical school graduates selecting primary care has declined… read more

Posted on August 17, 2009 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Patient Death

Another excellent story in the Seattle PI sheds some light on the state of our nation’s hospitals. The article is full of frightening statistics about medical errors and preventable deaths. I used to think hospitals must be among the safest places to be, but now I am not so sure. Before I scare you with… read more

Posted on May 12, 2009 in Our Blog,Patient Care

Childbirth and aging can have some unpleasant effects on your bladder, but you may want to think twice before undergoing any medical procedures to fix the problem. Nobody wants to leak urine, so it’s understandable that women suffering from stress urinary incontinence would turn to medical alternatives, such as a vaginal sling–a mesh device inserted… read more

Posted on February 27, 2009 in General,Our Blog,Patient Care

I don’t think you’d get many arguments from anyone that our nation’s health care system could use some help. So many are uninsured, and even those who are insured can’t always decipher their policies. HMO, PPO, copay, out-of-network, it’s hard to tell what’s what, and it’s just as confusing for the billing departments at hospitals… read more

Posted on December 10, 2008 in Our Blog,Patient Care

The American College of Emergency Physicians just published its 2009 National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine, which ranks emergency rooms across the nation. The study assesses five criteria, including access to emergency care, quality and patient safety environment, medical liability environment, public health and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness. How did Oregon… read more

Posted on October 27, 2008 in Our Blog,Patient Care,Public Safety

Does the Food and Drug Administration’s fast-track policy for new medical devices help or hurt? According to an article in the New York Times from October 27, 2008, the FDA approval process for medical devices is simple at best. The FDA does not check for evidence of effectiveness but only that the device performs as… read more