This is a true story.
Friday, June 8th, 2007 – My Dad, age 82, was admitted to the Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria, MN by his primary physician, complaining of stomach pain and for dehydration. Fluids were administered, an NG tube inserted and x-rays were taken over the weekend. Dad stated many times over the weekend that he felt as if the ulcer he’d had back in the 60’s had returned because he was belching up bile. It should also be noted my Dad had a colostomy performed at the Douglas County Hospital in April 2006, due to a perforated bowel. X-rays were taken, nothing was observed.
Monday, June 11th, 2007 – A CT scan was taken in the AM and we3:00 were informed in the late afternoon my Dad had a lymph node mass, probably caused by the CLL (chronic lymphoid leukemia), in his back. It was decided Dad's oncologist, at the Mayo Clinic would be contacted the next day.
Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 – 4:30 PM, we were informed by Dad’s nurse that Dad's primary physician had called the oncologist at Mayo, but had received no response. Dad was doing well, the NG tube was removed, he was sitting up, eating a liquid evening meal of tea, broth, jello etc. and was in good spirits when we left.
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 – 2:00 AM, Dad called Mother asking her to come in as he "needed some support", stating his "belly felt like a drum" and that he "had been experiencing excruciating pain since 10:30 PM." He also asked her "to bring myself and my brother with."
2:30 AM – 6:00 AM, Upon arriving at the hospital Dad’s nurse seemed shocked to see us, telling us she’d told him, that his family needed rest and he shouldn’t bother us. “I have given him morphine for the pain.” We then wanted to go into his room and were very sternly told by the other nurse on duty that Dad had a “room-mate”, implying our being there was unacceptable. We (My mother, brother and I) entered the room anyway. Dad was sitting up in a chair, legs drawn up in a budda type position, whimpering and whining like a dog. Alarmed, we asked the nurse about the set of circumstances and were told he couldn’t lie down because of the pain and that the morphine she had administrated should be taking effect soon. It worked for a short time, but the excruciating pain returned, so did the whimpering, whining. When the nurse returned, I asked her if a physician had been contacted, her reply was, she had talked to the ER physician who told her “He was NOT familiar with the case so he would not come up to see him.” He however, instructed her to administer more morphine at 15 minute intervals if needed.
6:00 AM – Dad's surgeon finally came, he did NO examination, only sat by Dad’s bed and stated the pain was caused by the lymph node mass in his back pressing against his stomach. No x-rays were ordered. We asked him if anything could be done, to which he replied, "no, my area of expertise was from “here to here”, gesturing from chest to groin and that we would have to wait until his primary physician came in. He also indicated he was in hurry as someone was on the operating table being prepped and that he had to go “immediately.”
6:00 – 9:00 AM. Dad was still in the chair, morphine was administered at regular intervals to ease pain and keep him quiet.
9:00 AM – Dad's primary physician was observed by me striding down the hall directly to Dad’s room, not stopping to read any files. Seeing Dad’s state of circumstances he stated Dad should immediately be transported to St. Cloud and asked Dad if he could ride in a car. Shocked, we stated “no, as Dad was incoherent and too weak to be transported by anything but an ambulance." The primary physician did not check or examine Dad in anyway, just made the arrangements for him to be transported. It was agreed by all parties, that because Dad’s oncologist was from Mayo he would be transported to Rochester instead of St. Cloud.
3:00 PM - Dad was admitted to Methodist Hospital, Rochester, MN. It was soon discovered via x-ray that he had an ulcer perforation. Surgery was performed at approximately 10:00 PM at St. Mary's Hospital at which point the surgeon could not find the perforation due to its location. Dad was so swollen by the time of surgery the surgeon was unable to "close" the wound.
Sunday, June 24th, 2007 - Shortly after midnight my Dad died at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. His death certificate reads cause of death: sepsis, underlying cause gastric perforation. (The surgeon's area of expertise)
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I'm angry, so very angry!! The treatment my Dad received at this "Band-Aid Stop" I feel was deplorable. The fact the ER physician refused to come upstairs because he knew nothing of the case needles me endlessly, plus the fact the nurses did nothing but administer morphine to keep him quiet and ease pain. Whatever happened to the nurse acting as the patient's advocate? Surely the abrupt change in Dad's condition was NOTICEABLE. Writhing, panting, not being able to lie in a bed, incoherency, to me signals BIG changes. I ask are the nurses so intimidated by the Doctors in that hospitals they are afraid to call them? Can an ER Doctor "refuse" to see a patient, because he knows nothing of the case? What happens to the person who comes in to the ER with a heart attack, would this same Doctor "refuse" to treat him/her until he speaks with his primary physician?
Now its time for decisions, what to do I do about it. Do I call a lawyer or in the very least get a hold of the Minnesota Dept of Health asking for an investigation? According to law, hospital negligence constitutes a hospital being in a position to offer treatment but "refusing" to do so.
In the meantime I worry, worry about other patients coming into this hospital. Is it time for action or do I keep still, close my eyes and hope?
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Comments: 43
I believe that if it was me, I would go directly to the board of hospitals, as well as to get a lawyer to look into their refusal to do anything, besides allowing your day to go through pain and give morphine and do nothing else. They could have done more than just sit and let him get worse.
I am so sorry my friend, and I know the torment is hard, but I would at least want to ease my mind and heart that everything is done for every patient, even if you have to force the hospital to answer hard questions by other doctors and a court of law.
I would contact anyone and everyone that I could to get help in dealing with this. I am not a lawsuit screamer sort of person, but this screams out for it! He should not have had to go through all of that pain only to be treated by doctors that were passing the buck.
I am sorry that you are having to go through this, and you will stay in my prayers along with your family. Keep us informed of what you all decide to do.
I'm horrified but at the same time realize that hospitals are chrging more and more while they care less and less. Yes, I think their negligence is actionable and you shoud pursue it. Get somebody strong to help you, since I'm sure that at this time your mother is feeling far too beaten down and weak with grief to cope herself.
Second...This is MY hometown. I am sitting eight blocks from the hospital in Alexandria RIGHT NOW. I cannot tell you how many horror stories I've heard about the doctors at the hospital. On top of that, I can give you my own firsthand experience. When I had to have my gall bladder out--a very simple surgery--the whole process was a fiasco. Poor stitches, lots of bleeding, infection, dehydration, nobody could get an IV in my arm and I had track marks by the time they finished. I mean, it was baaad. I have heard three new horror stories last week alone about people dying when it wasn't necessary...and these were fairly young people.
Listen...contact the lawyer, in the very least. Do that first, and see what they say about contact any departments for complaints. It NEEDS to be reported one way or another, though. All of it. Including the rude, horrible nurses and unwilling doctors.
With your permission, I'd like to share your story with a few people who have had similar experiences with the hospital lately.
You don't have to do it today or tomorrow, you have at least a year. You could get a copy of his medical records first from the hospital since the lawyer will probably bill you for getting those.
Your poor Dad didn't have a choice, but early July is the worst time of year to go into a hospital -- the new doctors and interns are all coming on, and they are all basically incompetent.
Let us know what happens.
patient to nurse ratios (staff reductions to save $$) and senior staff physicians
who may not think they are God, but their word is!!
Talk to the lawyer. Something to keep in mind...the Douglas County Hospital is one of the few hospitals in Minnesota that are owned by the residents of their respective counties. I don't know if that will, in any way, affect the lawsuit, but it's good to know.
Lori
Alexandria is a small town and I've found that the Professionals in small towns are subjected to a lot of peer pressure from other professionals in small towns.
Check in Sauk Center or St Cloud for a qualified legal representative and make up your mind to go into Minneapolis if you have to.
Get your Dad's medical records and protect them. Have everybody involved write down all of their thoughts and memories while everything is still painfully fresh in your minds. As an ex EMT I've know patients records to get mysteriously changed and human memories fade and get confused at times.
The place you decsribe and the care your Father received sounds more like a Hospice than a Hospital. "Try to make em comfortable and let em die"
I'm so sorry for your loss and your Dad's unforgivable experience and treatment.
God bless all of you.
Try to treat yourself gently during this painful time.
I have, on several occasions, had to coordinate and advocate for my children with regards to any medical care. On one occasion they prescribe two different medications by two different doctors at the same clinic at the same time -- not indicating that one replaced the other. Not until I had several conversations with nurses and doctors, did it become clear. Meanwhile, my daughter had a potentially life-threatening situation.
Your experience reminds me that we have to be our own advocates. My parents generation believed that "doctor knows best", but my generation is learning that sometimes the patient knows better.
I really feel for you and I see more of a trend when it comes to doctors doing this to people... It is really sad... I just hope me or my children never run across care like this in the future.
My deepest sympathy on your loss. The night nurse at that hospital should be sued as well as the ER doc, his primary MD AND his oncologist. First, have your Mom go to the hospital and request his entire medical record, immediately. She can go to the records room herself. It might cost about $100, for the copies, but it won't give them time to "fix" anything. Next, See a lawyer at once, and ask that he/she subpoena your Dad's ENTIRE medical record ASAP..hopefully they won't see it coming, and you will already have the first copy, in case there were "errors". Good luck, hon, you & ypours are in my prayers. Email me if you need to know exactly which records are needed.
I am so sorry to hear how this happened.
It is horrific. I'd be angry like you are too.
Get the records before someone can change them.
I can't believe he was treated like this.
I am so angry about how older adults aren't given the same care that a younger person would. That may be part of what happened here.
Gosh this is just awful.
You can't bring your dad back but you might be able to help save someone else's life by following thru with this.
{{{{Lynn}}}}
I live near a good trauma center. When my father-in-law went in with the same symptoms, they knew what it was immediately and operated even though he had severe COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). He was informed of the risks of surgery, and he was asked to make the choice about surgery, which is proper best practice that respects the dignity of the patient. He lived a number of years after that, eventually dying of COPD with very good end-of-life care.
The difference between where I live and where you do, is that I live in Portland, Oregon, which is a magnet for good doctors. We have ocean and mountains and good opera, and this attracts good docs. Good doctors have some voice in how things run here. Hospitals compete against each other here, as well. The hospital where my mother had her heart surgery is ostentatious about handwashing, at least on the cardiology wings, at the insistence of her heart surgeon. He likes having good survival rates in his patients, and he is also likeable. People do what he asks because they like him, and if their family member needs heart work, they want him to work on them.
Yesterday on NPR, there was a discussion of how to choose a hospital, and even after choosing the most appropriate hospital for the issue at hand, how then to ensure with advocacy presence that best care is given. The best hospitals want you there and informed. A physician who wrote a book called The Smart Patient, said that posting a family member as a sentry is something that he recommends. He says there are also people called hospitalists who can do this for patients. My friend who is a nursing instructor in community health says this as well, especially if the patient cannot advocate for self and if pain is an issue. The NPR site has more information and links. The hospital cannot prevent careful advocacy, and will likely have your patient transferred if they are aware they cannot give as good care as somewhere else could.
I am sorry for your loss, and I am sorry for the people who gave poor care as well. Nurses cannot control working conditions, which is a reason good people leave the profession and good candidates don't go into it. In Oregon, the nurses' union works to get proper patient-to-nurse ratios, but it is very difficult. I have a friend whose son worked at a hospital, not in Oregon, where he quickly figured out that the nurses do extremely important work, but are sometimes poorly treated by doctors and administrators. The best doctors and administrators understand the value of proper care for nurses and patients, and are careful about how this works when they choose where they would get treated themselves, where they work, and where they exert their influence.
The hospital where your dad was first taken may have more liabilities than assets. You may need a team of people who are devoted to promoting best practice when monetary resources are few. The hard asset of the building is there, but for it to function to promote health and best practice, it may need to turn into a community center as much as a hospital. Jane Jacobs, who wrote on how cities work, promoted "grandmothers' eyes on the street" for preventing crime and promoting proper formation of constructive values in children. Many people in the health care field go into it to see healing. Ordinary people can enjoy seeing healing when that is possible and best care when it is not. A hospital with a high rate of volunteers may have the equivalent of "grandmothers' eyes on the street," even if the volunteers are composed of different genders and ages.
If you want a medical facility to remain in your town, you have a tricky road ahead. You will likely need a good accountant/auditor as well as an attorney. What kind of car does the hospital administrator drive?
All my best to you. I will pray for you. If your town fixes this well, it will be enormously helpful for other places as well. I hope to hear about it.
My heart goes out to you and your family. I am so sorry for your loss.
I agree that you should seek legal assistance and sue the hospital if you can. I understand your anger and your frustration.
In September of 2005, my mother was having dinner at my cousin's house when she started to exhibit symptoms of a stroke. My sister was there as well and insisted on calling 911, even though my mother protested that whe was fine. It was a mini stroke (a TIA). My mother was admitted to the hospital for observation. The next day she suffered two more mini strokes. That night, she suffered a major stroke, leaving her paralysed on the left side.
If a major stroke is discovered within 3 hours there are drugs that can be administered that greatly reverse the effects of the stroke, but they cannot be administered after that 3-hour window.
We were told that they did not know when my mother's stroke had occurred, so they could not administer the drug.
My mother received excellent post-stroke care at the hospital. She received rehabilitative therapy as well, but did not imporve significantly. Eventually, she was transferred to a nursing home, where she remains totally paralysed on the left side.
I lived in Texas at the time of my mother's stroke, but have since moved to Michigan to be near her. I was the first to question the hospital's actions, maybe because I was not there to see the good care she received after her stroke. My family was reluctant to criticize the hospital. I could not understand why she was not being observed more closely before the major stroke occurred. She was admitted for observation, but was not observed often enough to catch the major stroke before it was too late to administer the drug that could have reversed some of the effects.
Eventually, I convinced my family that we should seek legal counsel. The lawyer we hired was highly recommended, but she was very slow. After a year (and a stack of paperwork a foot high), she said that the doctors she consulted did not think the hospital was negligent and she would not pursue the case.
We were never given an explanation of why my mother was on a 4-hour watch cycle when the drug needed to be administered within 3 hours. I remain angry and I think I always will be.
This is not meant to discourage you from suing the hospital. I have been told that it is harder to sue for malpractive in Michigan than any other state in the country. I hope that you have better luck than we did.
dianne
I think an attorney is the only one who can tell you if you have a case aganst the hospital and/or Drs.
You've received much advice, no matter what you do it cannot replace your father.
God comfort you and your family.