Here is another story I want to share with my readers in hopes that more people will take note of the harm that is inflicted by tort reform. A jury awarded a collective $1.75 million to two siblings who alleged doctors at UCLA Medical Center…
While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) says the chances of becoming infected by the single-celled organisms known as Naegleria folweri are rare, recent deaths may indicate that it isn’t rare enough to negate the need to increase public awareness. An 11-year-old South Carolina girl died…
Last April, it was revealed that between 2010 and 2015 more than 41 hospitals worldwide reported bacterial infections linked to duodenoscopes, likely affecting 300 to 350 patients. The duodenoscope is a flexible long snake-like tube with a tiny camera on the tip that is inserted…
Wild parsnip is back in season. But, what is it and where is it found? Wild parsnip is one of the most common plants; it is typically found in along roadways, bike trails, and open fields, but has also been found in gardens and on…
Two lawsuits have been filed against York Hospital and LivaNova, the manufacturer of a medical device that was linked to a series of bacterial infections throughout southcentral Pennsylvania. Both suits are making defective design and failure-to-warn claims, among others, against LivaNova and neglig
A Philadelphia jury recently awarded $44.1 million to a women who suffered a brain hemorrhage while being treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Formerly a project manager at a financial services company, the woman was left paralyzed on her left side and…
Everyone from young children to senior citizens have become increasingly glued to their phones — almost anywhere, at any time. Over the years, smartphones have even offered significant benefits for health care providers in terms of improved communication, providing assistance during care, viewing pa
While slow in coming for most of us, it seems the warmer weather may finally be upon us. The days are getting longer, birds are chirping, and the sun is shining more, and school is nearing the end. What a perfect recipe for a bike…
When you accidentally hurt someone, saying “I’m sorry” goes a long way to beginning to repair a damaged relationship or righting a wrong. But in the medical field apologizing for a mistake is yet to become standard practice. Medical malpractice lawsuits have created a system…
Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a homemade rocket attached to a skateboard to explode, killing one Southern California high school student and injuring another. It is believed that eighteen-year-old Bernard Moon, a chemistry buff, and his friend were testing out the…
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, more than 2.4 million children and adults in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Whether the victim is an adult, a child, or an infant, TBIs can have a major impact on individuals and…
Bristol Hospital, a general medical and surgical hospital in Bristol, CT, recently celebrated over a year without a safety error. How did they do it? By implementing a simple but effective method proven successful in other industries. In 2010, board members of the Connecticut Hospital…