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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 12,2008 CONTACT: DOUG WOJCIESZAK, 618-559-8168 OR SUSAN MOORE 850-893-8936
Florida, long a hotly contested battle ground in the med-mal crisis, is moving over to the Sorry Works! column. Florida healthcare professionals are moving away from politics and divisiveness to apology, disclosure, and healing for patients, families and providers. They are embracing improved patient safety while lowering litigation and associated costs.
Last fall we reported that Shands Hospital in Florida publicly apologized and admitted fault for giving a fatal overdose to a toddler. We told you how the hospital leadership owned the mistake and are now working with the family to develop a children's hospital in their region of the state. Today we report below about a Tampa hospital that just publicly admitted a mistake and confirmed that the doctor apologized to the patient. The story below specifically mentions how hospitals like this Tampa facility are embracing Sorry Works!
Next Wednesday in Jacksonville, FL Sorry Works! Founder Doug Wojcieszak will be addressing the Board of Florida Patient Safety Corporation, which is comprised of healthcare, insurance, and legal professionals and consumers in the State of Florida. Sorry Works! is on the move in the Sunshine State.
To join the Sorry Works! movement and become a Sorry Works! success story like these Florida hospitals, we strongly recommend arming yourself with a copy of the Sorry Works! Book. Now, you may say, "Doug, you've been pushing this book awful hard in your newsletters...what gives?" What gives is Sorry Works! has been constantly bombarded by hospitals, doctors, and insurers over the last two years asking all sorts of questions about disclosure and apology. Most of the questions are of the "how-to" nature. Of course, we're always happy to help, but we thought it might be more efficient to put it all in a book....a one-stop place to get all your questions and concerns about disclosure answered. We kept it concise at 103 pages so it's quick read for even the busiest professionals, and kept it very affordable at $21.95 per copy. And bulk discounts are available. So, get your copy today by visiting this link: Sorryworks.net/booksoon.phtml For bulk order inquiries, call 618-559-8168 or e-mail doug@sorryworks.net.
So help yourself and help Sorry Works! by ordering your book today.
Hospital admits surgical mixup By Lisa Greene, St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer May 28, 2008
TAMPA-Staff members at Tampa General Hospital mistakenly started performing a cardiac catheterization last week on the wrong patient, hospital officials said Wednesday evening.
The man was not harmed, and the hospital is conducting an internal investigation. Staff members failed to follow proper hospital policies to identify the patient before the procedure, said spokesman John Dunn.
A doctor "had inserted a catheter and was taking readings, but they hadn't injected any dye," Dunn said. "It was very early in the procedure."
Staffers made the mistake after asking the patient his identity verbally, without checking his wristband. Dunn could not say what the patient said or how he identified himself.
"Ultimately, it's our responsibility, not the patient's," he said.
Tampa General would not identify the patient or medical staff members involved, and Dunn said he didn't know why the patient was in the hospital.
Those who made the mistake "will be subject to the appropriate disciplinary actions," the hospital said in a statement.
"The physician met with the patient, apologized and explained what had happened," Dunn said.
The catheter was inserted into the man's groin, and he was sedated, but not under anesthesia.
In the procedure, a thin tube, or catheter, is inserted through a blood vessel and guided to the heart. Then dye is injected so doctors can look for blockages.
The procedure wasn't an emergency. The patient who was supposed to be catheterized wasn't harmed by the delay, Dunn said.
The hospital plans to report the incident to regulatory agencies, as it is required to do.
Catheterizations have a small risk of serious complications, including heart attack or stroke.
After a flurry of publicity about surgeries done on the wrong patient or body part, hospitals nationwide have adopted stringent procedures to try to ensure that such "never events" never happen. At Tampa General, staffers were supposed to stop and take what the hospital calls a "pause for the cause" to correctly identify the patient.
In announcing the error, Tampa General joined an increasing number of hospitals who choose to apologize for mistakes rather than deny them. An advocacy group formed in 2005, the Sorry Works! Coalition, pushes hospitals to do so.
In 2004, Sarasota Memorial Hospital also did a cardiac catheterization on the wrong patient. Staffers realized the error after the procedure was finished. The patient wasn't harmed.
Lisa Greene can be reached at(813) 226-3322 or greene@sptimes.com.
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