[kaiserthrive.org editor’s note: Surprise, surprise! Kaiser Permanente spits in the face of its victims once again, with another empty expression of sympathy while refusing to take responsibility for killing yet another innocent Kaiser member. Do you suppose this is what they mean by “Thrive”? An even bigger surprise is that George Halvorson can’t seem to grasp where all of the bad PR is coming from. Drop us a line, George, we might be able to enlighten you.]
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Kaiser Santa Clara to appeal $25,000 fine imposed after infant’s death
Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical Writer
Kaiser Permanente’s Santa Clara hospital plans to appeal a $25,000 fine assessed by the California Department of Public Health for a medication error that led to the death of an infant earlier this year.
Although the hospital admits that an error occurred, Kaiser contends its corrective actions had passed federal review and met state standards. “Therefore, we are appealing the DPH’s action,” said hospital vice president Mary Ann Barnes.
The California health agency announced the administrative penalty against the Kaiser hospital on Thursday. At the same time, eight other hospitals throughout the state were assessed similar penalties for life-threatening infractions – the first medical centers to be cited under a new law that became effective on Jan. 1.
According to documents disclosed by the state, a baby boy born on Jan. 6 at the Kaiser facility was diagnosed with a rare congenital metabolic disorder. He was transferred to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford for a month of specialty care. Two weeks after he returned to Kaiser, he was rushed back to Stanford in liver failure. He died Feb. 24.
An investigation determined that, after he returned to Kaiser, he was tube-fed a mixture of nutritional supplements and drugs. But the powdered material had been repackaged with a mislabeling of the weights, a mistake overlooked by a pharmacy technician. The child, therefore, was fed an overdose of the mixture.
Kaiser attorney Mary Parks declined to say whether there has been litigation or a financial settlement with the child’s family.
Barnes said the hospital will not be fined or sanctioned by the federal government, which has approved of Kaiser’s “plan for correction.”
However, in its citation against Kaiser, the state health agency said that, five weeks after the error, hospital pharmacy technicians still had not received promised training on correct use of scales to prevent similar repackaging errors.
In her prepared statement announcing the appeal, Barnes apologized for the incident. “Unfortunately, individual human error does occur, as it did in the case DPH is referencing,” she said. “We are deeply sorry for the family that experienced this sad event, and have expressed our sympathy.”
The new state law allows the California Department of Public Health to assess penalties against hospitals for situations that create “immediate jeopardy” – violations of rules that have caused or are likely to cause death or serious injury. The sanctions are separate from federal rules that can lead to loss of Medicare and Medicaid funding and loss of licensure to operate.
Previously:
Just was reading about Merrill Lynch firing its CEO. If only Kaiser had a board that was responsible to Kaiser members, like Merrill Lynch’s board is accountable to its shareholders.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/business/28merrill.html
If only this were true at Kaiser too.
Kaiser Permanente Reported Ready to Dismiss Head
Capping a tumultuous two years that included a series of patient safety and health care quality fines and controversies, the board of Kaiser Permanente has reached a broad consensus that George C. Halvorson, the chairman and chief executive of the firm, will not remain in his position, according to people briefed on the discussions.
Details remain to be worked out, including who will take over and what the timing of Mr. Halvorson’s departure will be. But brewing unhappiness within the HMO and expressions of discontent that have been conveyed to the board from Kaiser Permanente employees suggest how serious the situation is and how quickly the board may feel the need to move.
How many more fines have to be levied before somebody notices that $25,000 is peanuts for a company that makes $35,000,000,000?
If only.
Kaiser will pay its lawyers more than that to weasel its way out of paying the fine.
Justen Deal has been writing an entertaining series of posts on Who Will Be Kaiser Permanente’s Next CEO? Check it out.
Did you read that the child was sent to another hospital instead of Kaiser and after he stabilized he was sent back to Kaiser and that’s when he was killed. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that family went through before their child died—let alone the pain of knowing your child was killed because of a medical error. God.
$25,000. That’s missing a couple of zeros, isn’t it?