One can only imagine the utter shock and devastation of having a perfectly healthy kidney surgically removed by mistake. Sadly, this is not the first horrific surgical error to take place in one of the nation’s hospitals. Each year, thousands of people in Hawaii and other states are injured, become ill, or, in worst cases, suffer death when doctors and nurses make mistakes that were entirely preventable.
In July 2016, hospital staff members came under the scrutiny of federal regulators who determined they had failed to follow proper patient identification procedures. This negligence led to the terrible surgical error that left a patient without a kidney, which was healthy to begin with. In October, the hospital was given until December 12, 2016 to correct deficiencies cited by regulators, or its Medicaid and Medicare agreement would be terminated.
A spokeswoman for the hospital stated all corrective actions were implemented well before the deadline. She said hospital officials worked diligently alongside federal and state agencies to ensure all aspects of the directive were fully completed. The Department of Public Healthy reportedly notified the hospital that its corrected plan has fulfilled all necessary actions and was officially considered complete.
That notification is said to have been issued in late November. There is no telling what type of complications a patient may endure after a serious surgical error. It is not uncommon for a patient to feel angry and frustrated upon learning that negligence was the leading factor that resulted in a mistake. Any person in Hawaii who has suffered because of hospital error may seek justice by filing a medical malpractice claim in a civil court. A personal injury attorney can guide a malpractice victim through the entire process.
Source: telegram.com, “St. Vincent Hospital files corrective plan after patient ID error“, Susan Spencer, Dec. 12, 2016