Medical errors really can happen to ANYONE – we just don’t all end up on 60 Minutes afterwards. Actor Dennis Quaid and his wife gave a tremendous interview to 60 Minutes last night to discuss the preventable medication error that nearly killed their infant twins several months ago. The segment gives an accurate and insightful overview of the problem of medical error. It struck me how similar the story of this wealthy and well-known family matched the stories of many of our Consumer Health Quality Council members (see videos here: www.hcfama.org/quality/stories).
Medical error is a leading cause of death in the United States, and no one is immune. We have heard from doctors and nurses, moms and students, people from literally every walk of life who have been harmed by preventable errors. Now, you can hear from a movie star who is doing what our great Consumer Health Quality Council volunteers have been doing for the last 18 months – trying to focus attention on a problem that causes severe harm to hundreds of thousands of American families each year.
James Madden
I highly recommend reading Dr. Sanjaya Kumar’s new book, Fatal Care: Survive in the US Health System, it highlights several medical errors and offers solutions. The book is very interesting and a good read.
You can find it at Amazon.com or go to the website http://www.fatalcare.com
First do no Harm
February 4, 2005 I wrote a letter to the editor regarding my concerns about our healthcare community in Ottumwa.
This story was never published.
On April 06, 2005 my wife gave birth to a wonderful baby girl (Olivia). She was delivered at the Ottumwa hospital. Before she was born; one of the hospital nurses asked my wife and I if we wanted our daughter vaccinated with Hepatitis B. My wife and I did not want our baby vaccinated at that time and signed a document to this. I explained to the nurse why we did not want her vaccinated. I told her that there has been documented studies indicating a greater risk for SIDS and AUTISM among children being vaccinated under the age of 2.
Within 2hours after Olivia was born, they vaccinated her with Hepatitis B.
We were told by hospital officials that the form that we signed was difficult for the medical staff to read. The Director of the medical staff told me that there was no risk to our daughter.
On April 20, 2005 Olivia stopped breathing. I rushed her to the hospital were she experienced two more episodes in the ER. She was kept in the hospital for the day and observed without incidence. For the next month our little girl had chronic breathing problems with no explanation from the hospital for her episode. We were constantly worrying that it was going to happen again. The hospitals doctor did ask my wife and I if we knew CPR, just incase it happened again.
The Hospital continues to claim no liability in the incident that almost cost our 2 week old daughter her life. Since she survived and has no recognizable brain damage the hospitals position is “no harm no foul.“ Malpractice laws disagree.
Last year the Department for Health and Human Services requested that all healthcare providing agencies report any hospitalizations, ER visits, and deaths following vaccinations. The report is to be filed with the Centers for Disease Control.
My wife and I gave an ORHC doctor the document to be filled out and submitted.
It was never done.
I contacted the Centers for Disease Control and filed the document.
*The CDC is now investigating the incident as a possible adverse reaction to the vaccine.
There are over 200,000 reports every year of possible vaccine reactions in children.
Over the past month there have been many reports regarding vaccine reactions in the mainstream press.
As of July 25, 2005 the Hospital position: “Based upon the information available to us, including literature which disputes the claim that adverse affects occur with childhood immunizations, and no additional claim of present injury to the child it does not appear that a financial settlement, of any amount, is warranted under the circumstances.”
On April 20, 2005 I rushed my 2 week old daughter to the ER because she was not breathing.
One of the possible adverse effects of Hepatitis B vaccines is AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION.
I encourage both the medical community and there patients to become more educated in the risks associated with the treatments that are provided.
***FIRST DO NO HARM!
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