State health officials have placed St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center on probation for one year, citing violations of a range of state regulations in cases involving patient care.
Among the cases cited is the June death of a patient following a "catastrophic" failure involving the pump used for cardiopulmonary bypass during heart surgery. The patient sustained a brain injury during the May 18 surgery and died June 18, according to an investigation report.
Shortly after the patient died, on July 2, St. Francis voluntarily suspended its non-emergency cardiac surgeries at the recommendation of the state Health Department. The suspension was lifted the following week after the department determined the safety concerns had been corrected, but the department continued investigating the hospital.
In the investigation report, state regulators cited several problems with how the hospital handled the pump failure:
•The pump was put back into use within three or four days after it failed, without first being reviewed by a clinical engineer and the manufacturer.
•The hospital failed to report the pump failure to the FDA or the device manufacturer, as federal law requires.
•The surgeon, anesthesiologist and physician assistant did not participate in an analysis of the incident.
•The hospital failed to expeditiously communicate the significance of the incident to the hospital's medical and administrative leadership.
"The hospital lacked a mechanism to process critical incidents effectively and expeditiously in order to ensure patient safety," the report says.
The hospital released the following statement Thursday afternoon:
"Following the resumption of elective cardiac surgeries this past summer, Saint Francis collaborated closely with the Connecticut Department of Public Health to improve processes identified during the DPH review.
"Throughout the hospital there have been aggressive actions taken, including new reporting responsibilities, administrative changes, updated operating room procedures, and revised equipment inspection and maintenance policies, all to help ensure the superior patient care that is our highest priority.
"Saint Francis wishes to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the patient who passed away following surgery that prompted this review of our policies, procedures, and administrative protocols.
"We also want to express our gratitude to the Connecticut Department of Public Health for its guidance in helping develop the progressive standards now in place at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The best practices that have been instituted will help further strengthen our delivery of leading-edge care to our community."
Among the cases cited is the June death of a patient following a "catastrophic" failure involving the pump used for cardiopulmonary bypass during heart surgery. The patient sustained a brain injury during the May 18 surgery and died June 18, according to an investigation report.
Shortly after the patient died, on July 2, St. Francis voluntarily suspended its non-emergency cardiac surgeries at the recommendation of the state Health Department. The suspension was lifted the following week after the department determined the safety concerns had been corrected, but the department continued investigating the hospital.
In the investigation report, state regulators cited several problems with how the hospital handled the pump failure:
•The pump was put back into use within three or four days after it failed, without first being reviewed by a clinical engineer and the manufacturer.
•The hospital failed to report the pump failure to the FDA or the device manufacturer, as federal law requires.
•The surgeon, anesthesiologist and physician assistant did not participate in an analysis of the incident.
•The hospital failed to expeditiously communicate the significance of the incident to the hospital's medical and administrative leadership.
"The hospital lacked a mechanism to process critical incidents effectively and expeditiously in order to ensure patient safety," the report says.
The hospital released the following statement Thursday afternoon:
"Following the resumption of elective cardiac surgeries this past summer, Saint Francis collaborated closely with the Connecticut Department of Public Health to improve processes identified during the DPH review.
"Throughout the hospital there have been aggressive actions taken, including new reporting responsibilities, administrative changes, updated operating room procedures, and revised equipment inspection and maintenance policies, all to help ensure the superior patient care that is our highest priority.
"Saint Francis wishes to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the patient who passed away following surgery that prompted this review of our policies, procedures, and administrative protocols.
"We also want to express our gratitude to the Connecticut Department of Public Health for its guidance in helping develop the progressive standards now in place at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The best practices that have been instituted will help further strengthen our delivery of leading-edge care to our community."
I'd like RN to explain exactly how caps on legal awards would have encouraged St. Francis personnel to follow policies, procedures and standards in the particular instances cited in the article.
One very effective way to lessen malpractice suits would be for hospitals to institute policies and procedures that address medical errors BEFORE THEY HAPPEN and be strict about enforcing those standards. Another way would be for our state Dept. of Public Health to be more rigourous in its inspections and investigations of healthcare facilities and personnel.
I'm not sure why people keep trying to blame patients when they are the victims of malpractice, instead of those who actually perpetrated the malpractice -- but I know they have it backwards.
CatDance2 (11/13/2009, 2:21 PM )