Medical Malpractice Attorneys: Never Events | Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer: Medical Malpractice Law Firm: Edwards and Ragatz

May 21, 2013

Surgeon Operates On Wrong Side Of Brain, Devastating Patient

A patient receiving treatment for their injuries or illness may require surgery. These procedures put that patient’s body under a great deal of strain and can result in some serious complications. However, these surgeries may go wrong because of the negligence of the doctors or nurses assigned to the surgery. This can be due to [...]

April 2, 2013

Bad legislation on deck for Florida nursing home residents

A recent story from Jacksonville.com reminds me that nursing homes are constantly trying to get immunity from being held accountable for the severe abuse that occurs in their nursing homes. According to the Florida Times Union, emotional testimony from a woman whose mother was sexually assaulted in a Jacksonville nursing home took center stage as [...]

March 8, 2013

Nurse refuses to do CPR on elderly woman in a nursing home

A California 911 dispatcher begs a nurse at an independent living facility to perform CPR on an elderly woman who collapsed, fell unconscious and was barely breathing. The call and the response are raising questions over policies at some senior facilities. During the 911 call, the dispatcher desperately tried to get the nurse to find [...]

February 15, 2013

Does Florida face another medical malpractice fight this legislative session?

A senate committee has begun considering whether to make changes in Florida’s medical-malpractice laws, reviving a debate that has flared repeatedly during the past decade. As reported by the Saint Peters Times - Judiciary Committee Chairman Tom Lee said he wanted to get a sense of how other lawmakers view a series of proposals floating in the Legislature and [...]

January 9, 2013

Vulnerable Adults are protected under Florida Chapter 415

Exploitation of Elderly Elder abuse is a general term used to describe certain types of harm to older adults. Other terms commonly used include: elder mistreatment, senior abuse, abuse in later life, abuse of older adults, abuse of older women, and abuse of older men. One of the more commonly accepted definitions of elder abuse [...]

January 7, 2013

Thousands of Mistakes Made in Surgery Every Year

Malpractice occurs when a medical professional violates a standard of care. In most cases defining that standard and comparing it against the action of the defendant represents the most contested aspects of the case. But there are some circumstances when there is truly no dispute that the standards were violated. In the medical community these [...]

December 18, 2012

How to Prevent Falls in Nursing Homes

Falls among nursing home residents occur frequently and are a common cause of injuries and hospitalizations. In a typical 100 bed nursing home, there are 100 to 200 falls per year and many go unreported. Aside from being injured, residents who fall typically lose confidence, frequently sustain hip fractures and head injuries that result in permanent disability and [...]

Vigilance needed to prevent nursing home neglect

Every day brings news of more and more cases of mistreatment at local nursing homes and long-term care facilities. While the prevalence of these stories does not mean that all homes provide substandard treatment, it is a reminder of the need to be incredibly vigilant about the care our ailing seniors receive. There is no [...]

December 3, 2012

Never Event: Elopement in Nursing Homes – A Type of Neglect

It’s one of the worst events that can happen at a healthcare facility. In February 2011, a nursing home resident wandered away in a blizzard, unnoticed by staff. He was wearing only pajama pants, a sweater, canvas shoes and a knit cap. A technician driving to work found him half an hour later at a [...]

October 5, 2012

New System for Patients to report Medical Mistakes

As reported by the New York Times[1][1], the Obama administration wants consumers to report medical mistakes and unsafe practices by doctors, hospitals, pharmacists and others who provide treatment. In the flier, the government asks: “Have you recently experienced a medical mistake? Do you have concerns about the safety of your health care?” And it urges [...]

September 7, 2012

A Guide to Bedsores

If you or your loved one has become bedridden due to illness or infirmity, it is important to take steps to prevent bedsores/pressure ulcers, which are areas of broken down skin caused by pressure of lying in one spot too long without moving. Bedsores can cause severe pain and are prone to become infected. In extreme cases, [...]

March 1, 2012

What is a bed sore?

Bed sores are a major problem for patients who are confined to bed or a wheelchair, but aren’t limited to the bedbound. These sores can affect anyone who spends long periods in limited positions and those who are overweight and have folds of skin that touch. Bed sores can be prevented by moving the patient frequently, changing bedding, and keeping the skin clean and dry. They are also called a pressure sore, decubitus sore, or decubitus ulcer.

December 2, 2011

Adverse Events in Hospitals

In November 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General did a report on Adverse Events in Hospitals – National Incidence Among Medicare Beneficiaries

June 23, 2011

CDC Media Release on Patient Safety

Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs, aimed at protecting patients in America’s health care facilities through the prevention of health care-acquired conditions.

January 19, 2011

Update on Memorial Cases:Motion for Punitive Damages filed in Chandler case

A motion was filed in the matter of George Clay Chandler v. Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, et. al. seeking punitive damages on Mr. Chandler’s behalf. The evidence filed shows that in 2008 and early 2010 Memorial Hospital was cited by AHCA for deficiencies in its care of patients and particularly for numerous failures relating to nursing and wound care.

August 3, 2010

Hospital ER’s negligence leads to nurse’s disfigurement

A local 39-year-old mother of two lost both legs, all of her fingers on both hands and suffered disfiguring injuries to her face. Jean Law can no longer live any part of the life she had before she sought treatment this past February from the ER at Baptist Hospital South. She suffered a high fever, [...]

May 20, 2010

BCBS & Never Events

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) announced on February 26, 2010 that all 39 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies established a payment policy that prohibits reimbursement to contracted acute care hospitals for hospital acquired conditions or “never events” – serious events or medical errors that are clearly identifiable and preventable. The Blues [...]

CMS & Never Events

In July of 2008, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued State Medicaid Director Letter #08-004 to provide guidance related to coordination of State Medicaid payment policies with policies recently adopted by the Medicare program. This is needed when hospital providers bill for selected hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). Prompted by the 2002 & 2006 [...]

April 19, 2010

Memorial Bed Sore Cases-February 2010

Memorial Hospital faces six lawsuits for related medical negligence “Never Events” February 23, 2010 Six families are in the process of filing suit against Memorial Hospital for neglect and negligence that allowed patients to contract decubitus ulcers (bedsores) that led to complications ranging from disfigurement to death. The United States Department of Health and Human Services classifies bedsores [...]

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