Beginning October 1, 2008, Medicare, and many health insurance companies, will no longer pay hospitals for the additional services needed for patients who suffer from “never events.” Never Events, as defined by the National Quality Forum, are those events which should never happen to a patient. There are 28 errors on the list ranging from […]
Never Events — Shooting the Messenger Read More »
I had lunch today with a long-time friend, Mindy. (No, of course that’s not her real name…) It’s been at least a year since we saw each other, and probably two since we had a long conversation. My heart broke as I learned that her daughter, Lindsay (not her real name either) has, for lack
Ulterior Motives for Eating Disorders, Too Read More »
Last January I posted three stories I had been told, all within a few days of each other, about patients who had acquired MRSA in the hospital and had been revictimized by the system that would not treat them, listen to them, or help them get well. Over the next several days, I was condemned,
MRSA: Patients Ignored, Left to Die – Redux Read More »
I’ve added another guest post this morning — one that will break your heart, too. John T. James, PhD, a dad — and now a fixer — posted about his son Alex, a seemingly healthy 19-year-old college runner who one day collapsed, was hospitalized, and died a few weeks later. The problem is, of course,
A Sea of Broken Hearts – Dad Posts About the Loss of Alex Read More »
[To catch up on previous chapters of Heather’s story, link here (post #1) and here (post#2.)] Heather had her first oncology appointment today. She was lucky to get in so quickly after her primary care physician ditched her (that still makes me shudder) and she was prepared. Last week, after my post about her diagnosis
Heather, SPTCL, the Next Chapter – Hang on to Your Hat! Read More »
There aren’t many times that I am left speechless, but this is one of them. If you are a regular reader of CNN’s Empowered Patient, offered each week by Elizabeth Cohen, then you know there have been any number of outstanding advocates featured. People who work tirelessly to improve our safety, access and navigation through
CNN’s Heroes of Patient Empowerment. A Humble Thank You. Read More »
Here’s the good news: Heather does not have SPTCL. Here’s the bad news: Heather does have another type of T-cell lymphoma called CGD-TCL, cutaneous gamma-delta t-cell lymphoma. Also written with Greek letters: cutaneous ?/? T-cell lymphoma To say that both Heather and I were shocked is an understatement. If you read my post a few
Heather, SPTCL, Another Misdiagnosis and Doctors Who Should Not Practice Medicine Read More »
For those of you who have read my misdiagnosis story, you know that one of the ultimate heroes was the pathologist (I’ll call him Dr. H.) who helped me understand how the misdiagnosis happened. Even though he was one of the doctors responsible for getting it wrong, in the end, he didn’t turn away or
Misdiagnosis, a Visit to the Lab and One Last Point Read More »
