Tag: hospitals

Medical Malpractice Lawyers Warn About Wrong-Site Surgeries

Doctors and patients are often confronted with an easily preventable medical mishap called wrong-site surgeries. Unfortunately, in a busy operating room, a doctor will perform a surgery on the wrong part of the body. This happens surprisingly more than anyone would expect. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, there are approximately 40 wrong-site injuries per week in the United States. Medical malpractice lawyers work to get the compensation for wrong-site injuries that victims so desperately need.

What Causes Wrong-Site Surgeries

new jersey philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys warning wrong site surgeriesIt is suggested that extreme time pressures may be the number one cause of wrong-site surgeries. Doctors are extremely busy people, and their schedules are not getting any less full. However, this does not mean that innocent people should be injured. Some surgeons have suggested a protocol to prevent wrong-site injury by requiring a pre-operative verification of important details, marking the surgical site, and a mandatory timeout to confirm everything before the procedure begins. When steps like these are not followed, preventable injuries occur. Sometimes, those injuries are fatal.

Other causes for wrong-site surgeries include mixing up the left and right side, marking incorrect spots on the body for surgery, neglecting to mark the surgical site at all, and consulting the wrong patient’s chart. While it may seem silly, there have been lawyers who suggest writing on the site not to be operated on simply “wrong site.” Simplicity need not be overlooked, even in the medical field.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you or any of your family members have been affected by a wrong-site surgery, or any other instance of medical malpractice or negligence, do not hesitate to contact the Mininno Law Office experienced medical malpractice lawyers for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

New Study Sees Increase in Hospital Errors

According to a study published in the health policy journal Health Affairs, 1 in every 3 patients in a hospital will endure some sort of medical malpractice.

The study was performed by a group of medical professionals from the University of Utah. The group determined that while some improvements have consistently been made, the health system is in dire need of serious reform. Editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, Susan Dentzer, commented on the findings of the University of Utah research team:

“Without doubt, we’ve seen improvements in health care over the past decade, and even pockets of excellence, but overall progress has been agonizingly slow.

It’s clear that we still have a great deal of work to do in order to achieve a health care system that is consistently high-quality — that is, safe, effective, patient-centered, efficient, timely, and devoid of disparities based on race or ethnicity.”

What Kinds of Errors are Patients Suffering From?

new jersey philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers events riseAmong a myriad of errors that hospital employees can make on the job, the following seem to be the ones that occur most often:

– Surgical supplies left inside patients
– Staph infections
– Bedsores
– Wrong drugs and/or dosages
– Misdiagnoses
– Performing procedures on the wrong side of the body

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Medical malpractice is a serious issue plaguing our current healthcare system. It seems that many health care facilities prefer to overwork their medical professionals in order to fill more beds and collect more payment than to know their limits in order to provide good and attentive care.
Don’t let yourself or your loved ones become a statisitic. If you have suffered from any type of medical malpractice, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

The medical malpractice attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to earning compensation for those seriously injured by medical error.

Medical Malpractice Events Not Decreasing, According to New England Journal of Medicine

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published research executed by Harvard Medical School that shows that the number of medical malpractice events (referred to in the article as patient harms) has not decreased in the last 6 years, despite numerous prevention efforts.

Medical Malpractice Study by Harvard Medical School

medical malpractice and negligence attorneys in nj and paResearchers examined 6 years worth of medical records from 10 different North Carolina hospitals. Over 2,300 admissions records were examined from 2002 thru 2007. Records were chosen at random and reviewed by teams of nurse reviewers. The study found 588 patient harms, including surgical errors, medicinal errors, and nosocomial (hospital-aquired) infections. Of those 588 medical errors, 84.4% were reported as “short-lived” and “not serious.” Fifty, however, were classifed as life threatening, with 14 resulting in death, and 17 resulting in permanent injury. Of the errors, 63.1% of them were abolsutely avoidable.

Harvard Medical School researchers explained that they chose North Carolina hospitals because of the state’s pristine history, as well as it’s dedication to preventing medical malpractice and promoting patient safety. Authors of the study said of the results:

“Though disappointing, the absence of apparent improvement is not entirely surprising.”

It seems that while certain preventative measures have been taken, there still exists an alarming lack of free-standing programs that help deter diagnostic and surgical errors. Much of the medical malpractice occurs when patients are transferred from one physician or facility to another. Patient and information transfers must be handled with meticulous attention and sometimes, in the hustle and commotion of an Emergency Room, that kind of attention is impossible to give. That is why programs and protocol should be put into place to assist in these transfers.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office

John Mininno, Esq. is a dedicated and hard working medical malpractice attorney practicing in New Jersey and Philadelphia. He is experienced in many different areas of medical malpractice, and is skilled at earning significant recoveries for victims of medical negligence. If you or a loved one have been victimized by neglience in an emergency or operating room, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the team at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

New Jersey’s Medicare Project

According to the Star Ledger as reported on August 18, 2009, there has been a difference in the amount of money that doctors receive when treating Medicare patients and what hospitals receive. Hospitals only receive a large amount of money, while doctors receive money based on the services they provide to Medicare patients. Some New Jersey hospitals have decided to try and change this by having doctors and hospitals share the profits received. They are hoping this will cut costs by cutting patient stays, lowering rates and improving discharge plans. They are hoping that by saving these costs, hospitals and doctors can work together to help improve medical care for Medicare patients due to sharing financial incentives. Medicare services are significantly more in New Jersey, then the payments that hospitals actually receive. There are currently twelve New Jersey Hospitals participating in this “Medicare Project.”

For additional information on this “Medicare Project” and hospitals involved you may go to:

This link.

Are Nursing Homes the Safest Places for our Loved Ones?

Putting a loved one in a nursing home is the toughest decision a family can ever make.  We research on line, ask friends, nurses and visit the facility to make sure we are making the best decision.  We would like to believe that when we spend time picking out a nursing home for our relative or loved one to go stay and live in for the rest of their lives that they are going to be well taken care of and looked after by properly trained and staffed nursing homes. We also would like to believe that they will receive the proper attention and medical care whenever such care and attention is needed.  Unfortunately, many Nursing Homes put profits over patients.  No matter where you live, nursing home and elderly abuse are a real problem in any state including New Jersey.  It is important to understand the reasons for elderly abuse and nursing home abuse before we can begin to solve the problem. The following is list of some possible reasons for this type of abuse:

·         Not enough staff

 This may be due to not being able to pay people enough for the amount of work they do, or people left and went elsewhere to be closer to relatives, or the market for this type of work may be bad in some areas over other areas.

 

·         Under qualified employees

Reasons for this might be that the employees never went through school for proper training, never received proper on the job training or attended training classes.

 

·         Overworked employees

If there are not enough staff as mentioned before, the employees a nursing home does have may be working longer hours and may be tired, or even feeling ill when they come to work. This leads to employees not paying enough attention which can lead to abuse.

 

·         Stress and Frustration

If an employee is stressed or frustrated on how to help a certain patient, this may lead to improper care and abuse. Training classes should be provided for these situations.

Some common signs of elderly abuse may include:

·         Unexplained injuries or bruises

·         Not receiving the proper doges of medications

·         Cuts or welts

·         poor nutrition and dehydration

·         Unsanitary conditions

·        Infections

·        Sudden death 

  •  Bed sores and pressure ulcers 

 

Sadly, these problems occur every day in even the nicest nursing homes and living facilities. There are different types of abuse. These can be physical, emotional, neglect, abandonment, emotional, or even financial. By putting profits over patient care, nursing home make millions for their investors while providing inadequate care.

The number of people suffering from elder abuse was 2.5 million in 1991, according to some studies from the National Center on Elder Abuse and this number will keep rising unless people become more aware of the problem and how to fix it.

 

If you or someone you love, you believe may have be a victim of this type of abuse, please call: (856) 833-0600 or contact a nursing home attorney for help today. 

 

Do not be afraid to speak up and get the help you need for your loved ones; they deserve the best care possible and may be depending on you to help them fight for their rights.

 

For more information on nursing home abuse and what can be done visit:

 

Got to the New Jersey Nursing Home Directory for a list of deficieny reports on 361 Nursing Homes in New Jersey.

 

Another great resource is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site which lists Health Care tools and research.

 

 

What Every Citizen Should Know About the Nursing Home Industry: A background

Deciding whether to put a loved one into a nursing home is the one of the most difficult decisions we must all face. In today’s fast paced society, however, it has become increasingly difficult to care for the elderly at home. Even more daunting, is choosing the right nursing home. Indeed, making a decision on a facility is difficult; with more and more nursing homes going up every year, the number of available options seems endless, even in some of the more remote sections of the country. Although on the surface many nursing homes may appear to be the same, there are dramatic differences between nursing homes, and unfortunately, many shortcomings. In order to have a better understanding of how nursing homes can be so dramatically different in quality of care, and to help you choose which nursing home might be best for your loved ones, you should first have a basic understanding of how nursing homes function in the United States.

First and foremost, it is important to constantly be aware that more than 80% of nursing homes in the Unites States are for-profit, publicly traded, corporations. This is in direct contrast to hospitals in the Unites States, which 87% of are non-profit operations. So how does this affect you and your family? Simple. In any publicly traded corporation, the final goal will always be profit. The Profits must come first. This is not just common practice, it is written into law. By law a publically traded corporations the most important, if not the only, obligation is to increase the profits of their shareholders. This set up has helped drive industrial and technological advancements at a staggering pace. However when it is applied to the practice of nursing homes and long term care, a problem arises.

By nature, medicine and long term care are extremely expensive. The cost to run hospitals and long term care, and nursing homes can reach staggering figures. In fact, it is estimated that at least $180 billion is spent on critical care alone in the United States each year. Although cost cutting is always a simple and desirable way to boost profits in any corporation, the nature of health care and long-term care simply does not allow for it. When dealing with the lives of human beings, there are large and unavoidable costs connected to providing their patients with the care they need to stay healthy with an acceptable quality of life. Unfortunately, this does not stop these corporate nursing homes from doing whatever they can to minimize their spending.

This cost cutting rears its ugly head in many forms in corporate nursing homes. Most apparent however, is the effect it has on the staff. Many for-profit nursing homes are dramatically under staffed, many of whom do not have the proper training to manage their positions in the first place. Lack of training, oversight, and personnel immediately translates into health risks to the patient. This includes, but is not limited to: bed sores, falls, under and over medicating, mixing up patients’ medications, unacceptable poor hygiene, physical abuse by staff, and lack of response to emergency situations. Incidents such as this are a daily occurrence. Fortunately however, you have the power to choose where to place your loved ones, and when the worst happens, you have the legal power to do whatever you can to rectify the situation.

When the worst happens to a loved one in a nursing home, contact an attorney immediately. The status quo of dramatic cost cutting in the nursing home industry will not change until it is no longer profitable to continue cutting costs and quality of care. By bringing a suit against a nursing home or long term care facility, you are demanding they change their way of business by punishing them financially for their neglect. By contacting an attorney who specializes in nursing homes, you are doing your part to make sure what terrible things happened to your loved ones do not happen to someone else.

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Hospitals can be Held Liable for the Negligence of Non-Employees

Hospitals are vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees. However, much of the time, due to a variety of reasons, the doctor seeing you at the hospital is not actually a direct employee of the hospital. Many hospitals would like to make you believe that they are not responsible for the actions of non-employed doctors. Could it be true that hospitals are protected when a visiting doctor makes a life changing error?

The answer is no. First cited in New Jersey in the case, Arthur v. St. Peter’s Hospital, the doctrine of apparent employment establishes that hospitals are generally not liable for the acts of physicians who are not employees but rather independent contractors. However, because the hospital holds out a physician as its employee, the, “…plaintiff had a right to assume that the treatment was that was being received was being rendered through hospital employees and that any negligence associated with that treatment would render the hospital responsible.

If you have been subject harm due to the negligence of a visiting physician, do not let the hospital fool you into thinking you have no case. Please contact an attorney immediately to find out just who is responsible.

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Sleepy Doctors Increase Harm to Patient by 700%, and Death Up by 300%

It doesn’t take a genius to know that without the proper amount of sleep, job performance drastically decreases. Sleep deprived workers in any profession increases the risk of error, and injury. When sleep deprivation occurs in the practice of medicine however, lives can be lost. So why is it that in a majority of hospitals around the country, studies have found that resident doctors are simply not getting enough sleep to provide proper care to their patients?

According to recent study by the Institute of Medicine, doctors in training should work no longer than 16 hours in a row without a five-hour nap to reduce risk to patients. The study was performed after increasing alarm amongst researchers who observed a majority of hospitals allowing 30-hour shifts without a required amount of sleep. To make things worse, Resident doctors, who are under paid and overburdened with student loans, usually end up having to supplement their income by moonlighting at other hospitals.

When the individual in charge of your well-being has not slept for 30 hours, they become a danger to themselves, and that danger passes on to you. According to a study by the Public Library of Public Medicine, it has been found that, “…sleep-deprived doctors are at high risk of making mistakes that injure or kill patients. When residents reported working five marathon shifts in a single month [30 straight hours or more], their risk of making a fatigue-related mistake that harmed a patient increased by 700%, and the risk of an error that resulted in a patient’s death shot up 300%.”

Figures of this size are unacceptable. The recent study demanding 5 hours of sleep per 16 hours of work is indeed a step in the right direction, however it is not enough to solve an epidemic problem in our health care system. Simply put, at current rates, residents are not getting enough sleep to properly care for patients. Although all residents have only the highest of intentions, they can easily make mistakes when hospitals force them into these marathon shifts.

If you or a loved one is currently in the care of a hospital, and you suspect they have been have not received proper care due to a sleep-deprived staff, please inform the hospital immediately. Hopefully mistakes and accidents can be avoided by bringing it to the hospital’s attention. If you suspect wrongful death or injury due to a sleep deprived hospital staff however, please do not hesitate to contact an attorney. You may be entitled to compensation.

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