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kaiserpapers.com/horror After nearly 10 years a legal settlement with a protective order between the patient, the family of the patient and Kaiser was reached. The family is no longer at liberty to discuss the case. As a courtesy to this family the patient name has been redacted from as much as possible on this web site.
At one time this patient had several web pages on The Kaiser Papers. Today they are being placed into one page so the public can become aware of the tactics that can be taken against patients to cause confusion and avoid responsibility for damage done to patient's and their families.
In the interest of the public well being the contents of the events that took place and other materials that have been on this site for nearly a decade will remain - again with Kaiser Papers materials redaction of the patient name. - July 2012
You may wish to check this.
Day by day, one step closer Family members help in mom's struggle with leukemia, brain damage By EMILY BERG/Staff Writer
http://www.vvdailypress.com/ http://www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-bin/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1055424685,55920, Thursday, June 12, 2003Day by day, one step closer Family members help in mom's struggle with leukemia, brain damage By EMILY BERG/Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE — "One step closer" was [redated name] motto as she battled the pain of chemotherapy almost a year and a half ago. Now, the wife and mother of two — as well as her family — is holding fast to the motto as[redated name] fights to regain mobility she lost after becoming comatose. That condition followed chemotherapy treatments to fight the acute myeloid leukemia doctors diagnosed her with in February 2002.
[redated name]'s family said doctors from Kaiser Permanente in Fontana haven't explained to them why the then 41-year-old Victorville woman suffered severe brain damage following a week of the cancer treatment.
She gradually awoke from the coma, and the leukemia that attacks the white blood cells is now in remission. [redated name]still can't walk or talk, and her husband, [redated name], continues to fight to get her the rehabilitation she needs.
Numerous Kaiser Permanente medical and administrative professionals explained [redated name]'s situation to the family as it unfolded, said Jennifer Resch-Silvestri, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente in Fontana.
[redated name] "continued to receive care through May of this year, at which time she was appropriately referred for additional rehabilitation services," Resch-Silvestri said.
[redated name] said the services Kaiser Permanente referred them to were in Loma Linda or Riverside. There is a waiting list for the services in Loma Linda, and [redated name] has a difficult time riding in the car, which would make Riverside too difficult, he said.
While many families face leukemia or brain damage, [redated name]'s family is dealing with both — and it's been rough at times, they said.
"It's all you think about all day," said [redated name], [redated name]'s sister.
As her family and friends discussed the roller coaster ride of hospitals, medical theories and lifestyle changes they've seen in the past year, [redated name] laughed at their jokes and kicked a large therapy ball propping up her feet.
The kicking and smiling, as well as some movement in her left arm, are the hopeful signs of recovery that keep the family going. That, and family humor, [redated name] said.
"We have very few serious moments," he said.
[redated name] has taken care of his wife full-time since she was released from Casa Colina Hospital in Pomona in January. Family members and friends say the 43-year-old Victorville man has hardly stepped out of the house since then.
He spends the day making sure [redated name] has her medications, therapy and smiles. Therapy includes standing in a standing frame, practicing range of motion on her back and playing the old video game "Pong" with a band around her head that responds to brain waves and facial movement.
"She has days when she is quite good at it," he said. "It's pretty amazing."
[redated name] wonders what the future holds. His supervisors at Southern California Edison managed to accrue almost 18 months of vacation time for him through donations so he could be by [redated name]'s side.
"I just don't believe she'd be here today, if not for them (donating the time)," [redated name] said.
[redated name] and [redated name]'s children said it's the little things they miss the most.
[redated name], 16, said he misses his mom's voice.
[redated name], 13, said the year's events have totally altered the family's lifestyle.
"Our life is changed," [redated name] said.
Do you want to help?
To help the [redated name] family, write to the [redated name], c/o [redated name] [address removed], Victorville, CA 92392. For more information, check out [address removed.]
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The Following has been prepared for public viewing by Nick Moretta, the husband of Debi Moretta who desperately needs assistance. Here is his public plea for HELP!
SHAME ON YOU KAISER AND PERMANENTE FOR HAVING DONE THIS TO DEBI!!
To Letters | To Photographs | To PDF Attachments
To: Department of Managed Health Care California HMO Help Center 980 Ninth Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814-2725 888-HMO-2219
The Joint Commission One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 800-994-6610
CC: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 916-445-2841
Office of the Patient Advocate 980 Ninth Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-324-6407
California Consumer Health Care Council P.O. Box 590307 San Francisco CA 94159-0307 415-666-0757
Consumers Union 1535 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-431-6747
Board of Registered Nursing P.O. Box 944210 Sacramento, CA 94244-2100 916-322-3350
Gloria Allred (Legal Expert) Michael Moore (Film Producer) Christina Gonzalez (Fox 11 News) Jia-Rui Chong (Los Angeles Times) Charles Phillips M.D . (Medical Expert) John Metz (Consumer Health Care Expert) Vickie Travis (kaiserpapers.com)
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is [redacted name], and based on our prior experiences, I seriously doubt the "Department of Managed Health Care" and or "The Joint Commission" will do anything to help us. It's my belief these two departments are either working with or have absolutely no control over Kaiser Permanente and therefore such complaints are pointless. That being said, this letter will serve as evidence.
Our background: In February 2002, my wife, [redacted name] drove herself to Kaiser Permanente and was eventually diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. Unfortunately [redacted name] contracted bacterial meningitis during her hospitalization which went undiagnosed and resulted in a life altering brain injury. Afterwards Kaiser claimed that [redacted name]'s injury was the result of a highly unlikely toxic reaction. I've turned to the DMHC for help several times since then, but to this day Kaiser has never been held accountable for anything. For additional information regarding [redacted name] diagnoses and treatment, please contact "Charles Phillips M.D. (559) 322-1446".
In December 2002, Kaiser claimed our rehabilitation benefits were exhausted and I was forced to bring [redacted name] home to care for her myself. Not long afterwards, Kaiser claimed that [redacted name] was custodial and refused to provide any home care. Again the DMHC did nothing. See [redacted website]
Our most resent problem: On June 23rd, 2006, I drove [redacted name] to the emergency room for what I believed was a urinary tract infection. It was later determined that [redacted name] had pneumonia. This condition would have been detected much sooner by a home health professional, but because I lacked the skills necessary to recognize her symptoms, [redacted name] likely went without treatment for weeks, which resulted in "loculated fluid" around her left lung and required surgery.
[redacted name] spent the following 5 weeks in the hospital, under the care of the very same nurses station that I believe is responsible for her brain injury in the first place. During this time at least one of [redacted name]'s nurses falsified documents, stating that medications were given when clearly they were not. I brought this to the attention of two separate Kaiser supervisors, both of which promised to investigate my complaint and get back to me. Unfortunately they both responded by telling me the results of their investigations were inconclusive. See attached.
That being the case, I filed a formal complaint with Kaiser's "Member Services Department". After waiting the allotted 30 days, Kaiser responded by saying the "results cannot be disclosed". See attached.
Our current situation: I believe that Kaiser is the HMO equivalent to Enron. They do what they want without any regard for patient rights. As for filing complaints within their system, it's nothing but a big waste of time, as they control Member Services, the Grievance Process and even the Ombudsman. It may look good on paper, but patients literally have no place to turn for help.
So here again, Kaiser clearly stated on two separate occasions that the results of their investigations were inconclusive. The fact that they are now refusing to disclose the results should not be tolerated. As I mentioned above, such complaints are pointless if nobody is held accountable. Clearly falsifying medical documents is a very serious offence, so allowing Kaiser to simply sweep this under the carpet is completely unacceptable. Therefore I'm asking the "DMHC" and "The Joint Commission" to stop letting Kaiser get away with these injustices and force them into disclosing their results. A prompt response would be greatly appreciated. See attached.
Thank you,
[redacted names] Victorville, CA 92395 Home: Cell: Medical Number: Email: Web site:
********************************************************************************** Letter to "The Joint Commission" July 30th, 2006: To Whom It May Concern:
I found a full bag of "Vancomycin" hanging on my wife " [redacted name]'s" IV tree on (Thursday 7-20-06), while preparing to move her to the operating room. I immediately asked her nurse "Mario" what he knew about it. He said it was hanging there when he took over @ 7:00 A.M. He then showed me the bag that he had given to [redacted name] @ 1:00 P.M. He also said that he had looked at the med sheet to see who had hung it, but all of [redacted name]'s meds were signed as if they had been given. From there he went to the refrigerator and found extra bags of Vancomycin with [redacted name]'s name on them.
At that point Mario and I walked over to "Helen Newman's" office. Helen is the Department Administrator, but was unfortunately away from her desk. From there I called "Linda Bodell". Linda is Helen's supervisor, and she told me to give the bag to "Martha" (The Charge Nurse). She also said she'd investigate the situation and get back to me.
A short time later I went back to Helen's office. I asked Helen for a copy of the med sheet, but she said they were in the middle of the investigation and would therefore not be willing to give me a copy. I then asked if all the meds had been signed for. She said that they had been, but that it was "not uncommon" for a nurse to sign the drugs off before they were actually given. She then told me to come back in the morning (Friday 7-21-06) and she'd give me the results of her investigation.
The following morning (Friday 7-21-06) I spoke with Helen Newman, but she said they were still investigating our Vancomycin mishap. She said they had one more nurse to interview before she could give me an answer. I asked her how many Vancomycin bags were found in the refrigerator with [redacted name]'s name on them, and she said two. She also said it was possible that the extra bags had been missing, or placed on someone else's refrigerator shelf and therefore the nurse(s) may have requested replacement bags from the pharmacy. Once again she told me that it was "not uncommon" for nurses to sign the med sheet before the drugs were actually given.
I waited for Helen Newman's answer until (Thursday 7-27-06). At that point I went back to her office. Helen had the bag that I found on [redacted name]'s IV tree in a plastic zip-lock type bag. She told me that she had questioned all of [redacted name]'s nurses, but every one of them claimed they had given [redacted name] her Vancomycin. She also said she spoke to the pharmacy, but was told they do not keep records for Vancomycin. In other words, if a nurse requested a replacement bag from the pharmacy, the pharmacy would simply replace it without any type of record showing the request or replacement. Once again during our conversation, Helen acknowledged telling me that it was "not uncommon" for nurses to sign the med sheet before the drugs were actually given.
At that point I thanked Helen for her efforts, but felt it was necessary for me to file a formal complaint with "Member Services". I also told her that I was going to speak with her supervisor "Linda Bodell" & contact "The Joint Commission".
From there I met with Member Services "Laurie Walsh" and filed a formal complaint. Afterwards I called "Linda Bodell". I told Linda what Helen had said with regards to nurses signing for drugs before they were actually given. I also told her I was going to contact "The Joint Commission". Linda said she would investigate the situation herself and asked me to wait until she had finished before calling "The Joint Commission"…I agreed.
The following day (Friday 7-28-06), Linda came to [redacted name]'s room to give us the results of her investigation. She said that all of [redacted name]'s nurses had been questioned, but each of them had said they gave [redacted name] her Vancomycin. She also said that she contacted the pharmacy, but was told that no additional labels had been printed for [redacted name]. Therefore no replacement Vancomycin had ever been ordered for her. As to Helen Newman's comment regarding nurses signing for drugs before they were actually given. Linda said that Helen denied ever telling me that. Linda did however acknowledge that there were extra bags, but said she did not know why.
Here's our dilemma: [redacted name] was scheduled to receive Vancomycin @ 1:00 P.M. & 1:00 A.M. daily for treatment of "Staphylococcus Aureus". Given the fact that "Mario" gave [redacted name] her 1:00 P.M. dose, there should have only been one bag left in the refrigerator, but "Helen Newman" said there were two. That coupled with the one hanging on her IV tree means there were two bags that Kaiser cannot account for.
As part of the Vancomycin complaint, it's important to note that I found the bag on (Thursday 7-20-06), yet the bag was spiked with tubing that was labeled in green "Change by Tuesday". Given the fact that the tubing is only good for four days, the bag was clearly spiked with outdated tubing. It's also important to note that the tubing was not connected to [redacted name]'s IV. It looked as though someone had hung it, but forgot to finish the job. See attached photo.
My second complaint is that during [redacted name]'s five-week stay at Kaiser Fontana, the vast majority of her nurses were not using the "Identi-Hide" labels. These labels are supposed to be affixed over the top of the patient's IV label before discarding. I personally witnessed nearly all of [redacted name]'s nurses simply tossing her infused IV bags in the trash without using these labels. At one point I actually removed a bag from the trash and asked her nurse why she would throw it away without covering [redacted name]'s medical information. She said she had done it because there were no labels in her room. I asked her to please get some and make sure they were used in the future. It's important to note that I spoke to both Linda Bodell & Helen Newman about these labels and the nurse's failure to use them. I also included it as part of my complaint with Member Services. See attached photo.
I'd also like to mention that [redacted name] suffered a horrific brain injury resulting from bacterial meningitis she contracted while undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia in March 2002. At that time [redacted name] was under the care of the very same nurses station that cannot account of the extra Vancomycin we discovered. Also "Sunil J Patel M.D." was Debi's oncologist at that time. He is currently serving a seven-year probation period for the death of two patients, yet he is also in charge of the Fontana Kaiser Oncology Department…why?
As a side note, the Fontana Kaiser Neonatal Ward was closed in March 2002 as a result of "Staphylococcus Aureus". [redacted name] contracted bacterial meningitis at the very same time. [Web address removed.]
Contact information: Linda J. Bodell, RN, MSN Clinical Director Medical/Surgical Services 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-4156 Helen Newman, RN Department Administrator Oncology 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-6158 Laurie Walsh Member Services 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-5823 Please help us get some more conclusive answers to these very troubling questions.
Thank you,
[redacted name]
Victorville, CA 92395
Home:
Cell:
Medical Number:
Email:
Web site:
Formal Complaint https://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/images/Kaiser-Complaint_Medical-Records_8-1-06-1.jpghttps://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/images/Kaiser-Complaint_Medical-Records_8-1-06-2.jpghttps://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/images/Kaiser-Complaint_Medical-Records_8-1-06-3.jpghttps://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/images/Kaiser-Complaint_Medical-Records_8-1-06-4.jpg
Kaiser Response https://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/images/Kaiser-Grievance-Responce_8-24-06-1.jpg https://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/images/Kaiser-Grievance-Responce_8-24-06-2.jpg
Kaiser considering dropping insurance coverage due to alleged threatening behaviorhttps://kaiserpapers.com/horror/can/Kaiser-Membership-Under-Review_9-1-06.jpg To: Department of Managed Health Care California HMO Help Center 980 Ninth Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814-2725 888-HMO-2219 The Joint Commission One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 800-994-6610 CC: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 916-445-2841 Office of the Patient Advocate 980 Ninth Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-324-6407 California Consumer Health Care Council P.O. Box 590307 San Francisco CA 94159-0307 415-666-0757 Consumers Union 1535 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-431-6747 Board of Registered Nursing P.O. Box 944210 Sacramento, CA 94244-2100 916-322-3350 Gloria Allred (Legal Expert) Michael Moore (Film Producer) Christina Gonzalez (Fox 11 News) Jia-Rui Chong (Los Angeles Times) Charles Phillips M.D . (Medical Expert) John Metz (Consumer Health Care Expert) Vickie Travis (kaiserpapers.com) To Whom It May Concern:
On 7-27-06, my wife, [redacted name] was under the care of a very competent and personable nurse named "Stephanie". I personally witnessed her trying to save the life on an elderly woman just a few rooms away. Unfortunately the woman didn't make it, but it certainly wasn't because Stephanie didn't give a 100% of herself trying. At any rate, Stephanie and I got along great, joking back and forth constantly.
By this time [redacted name] had been in the hospital for nearly 5 weeks and I hadn't been home in several days. Stephanie had joking told me many times that I needed a shower, so I decided she was probably right. At that point I joking said, "since you're [redacted name]'s nurse, I'll go home and shower, but if she dies while I'm gone…I'll kick you ass!" We both laughed and I went home. It's important to note that [redacted name] seemed to be doing much better by then. In fact, she was discharged the following day.
Before returning that evening, I called and spoke with Stephanie. We had a very nice conversation, during which time she told me that her and her husband were preparing to go on vacation, but I don't recall where. Anyway, by the time I returned to the hospital her shift had ended and she had already gone home.
The following morning (7-28-06), I was talking to a discharge planner. She told me that Stephanie had felt threatened by my "I'll kick you ass!" statement. I was in shock! I explained to this person that her feeling threatened made absolutely no sense, as we were clearly joking with each other.
Later that same day (7-28-06), I was talking to "Linda Bodell". I explained to Linda that Stephanie and I were just kidding around and therefore I didn't understand why she felt threatened. Linda said, "That's not what happened at all." She said that "a supervisor had overheard Stephanie telling a coworker about it." She went on to say that "Stephanie had called her to complain about the supervisor blowing my statement out of proportion." Linda also told me not to worry about it, as she had noted in the report that Stephanie and I were only kidding around.
Either of the following Kaiser employees can easily verify my above statement. Linda J. Bodell, RN, MSN Clinical Director Medical/Surgical Services 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-4156 Laurie Walsh Member Services 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-5823 That being said, I received the attached in today's mail (9-2-06). In light of the above in combination with recent complaints, I see this as Kaiser's way of using something that was nothing more then two people relieving a little stress, as a leverage point enabling them to walk away from their responsibility for the horrific situation they've put us in. How many more complaints must be filed before the "DMHC" and "The Joint Commission" finally do something? Please do not allow Kaiser to get away with these injustices!
Thank you once again,
[redacted name] Victorville, CA 92395 Home: Cell: Medical Number: Email: Web site:
NOTE: [Name Redacted] just informed me that the Medical Records are ready to be picked up. - Vickie
Part 3 of "A Husband's Please for help" that is taking place in Southern California. This is put online September 6, 2006.
No California Government Agency Seems Willing or Capable to Make Kaiser Permanente adhere to the Law and Produce Patient Medical Records When they are requested by the patient or family.
Department of Managed Health Care couldn't help [Name Redacted]. Office of The Patient Advocate couldn't either. The Joint Commission apparently didn't bother because like DMHC, [Name Redacted] has yet to receive a response from them even though the Office of the Patient Advocate contacted DMHC about this.
Did we mention that a former Kaiser employee is running the Office of the Patient Advocate?
Here is one method of getting your medical records though Kaiser still does not always produce them in a timely manner with this method: http://www.harp.org/recordmethod.htm
Kaiser already knows what the law says as well as the government agencies set in place to help patients.
This is Part 3 of "A Husband's Please for help" that is taking place in Southern California. This is put online September 6, 2006. Dear OPA,
With all due respect, your office was included in the recipient list as part of our last two complaints. See: Kaiser Permanente, a husband's cry for help! & Kaiser Permanente, a husband's cry for help! (Part 2). Neither of these two complaints mentioned anything about "acquiring copies of medical records" or "retaining an attorney", which only reinforces my allegation that filing complaints with our government is pointless!
That being said, I did call the DMHC several weeks ago to inquire about the time frame Kaiser is allotted to provide medical records. This was prompted after Kaiser told me they needed 60 days to fulfill my request, but this was not a complaint, only an inquiry. I've attached a letter that I sent to "The Joint Commission" following that inquiry.
Prior to my latest two complaints, I sought the help of the DMHC on several occasions in 2003. Each and every time they responded by telling me that we needed to file grievances with Kaiser before contacting them, yet in most cases we had already filed grievances. I learned then that the DMHC didn't care about our plight, and therefore stopped wasting my time with them. Given the fact that nobody from the "DMHC" or "The Joint Commission" has contacted us, the same is obviously still true today.
Sincerely,
Victorville, CA 92395 Home: Cell: Medical Number: Email: Web site:
On 9/6/06, Contact OPA < contactopa@opa.ca.gov> wrote:
Dear Mr. [Name Redacted] Thank you for contacting the Office of the Patient Advocate regarding your current problems with acquiring copies of your wife's medical records. We contacted Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) to review what they advised you. They directed you to file a grievance with Kaiser Member Service s . If your request is urgent you will need to request an urgent grievance with DMHC. The law requires that you file a grievance with your HMO member service first, unless its of urgent nature. The HMO then has 30 days to respond. If they respond in less time and you are unsatisfied with their response, then you can contact DMHC's HMO Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or go to their website to download a complaint/grievance form to fill out and send to DMHC. You indicated that you have retained an attorney. This might be something your attorney can acquire in a more timely process. You may want to contact one of our collaborates Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles at 1-213-736-1455 to inquire about their services. They have a website at www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org. They are an advocacy organization that may be able to provide you with some legal assistance. Additionally, the Independent Living Centers might be able to offer you and your wife assistance or future assistance. Offices in your immediate area are:San Bernardino - Rolling Start, Inc.(RSI) 570 West 4th Street, Suite 103, San Bernardino, CA 92401 Phone: (909) 884-2129 FAX: (909) 386-7446 TDD: (909) 884-7396 Fran Bates, Executive Director
Satellite Centers Victorville - Rolling Start, Inc. (RSI) 15647 Village Dr., Suite A Victorville, CA 92392 Phone/TDD: (760) 843-7959 Fax: (760) 241-8787
The primary purpose of the Office of the Patient Advocate is to educate consumers on their patient rights and responsibilities and to provide jurisdictional resource information. Our office works in conjunction with the Department of Managed Health Care, the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating HMOs in the state of California.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our office.
Sincerely,
Office of the Patient Advocate
From: [Name Redacted] Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 1:11 PMTo: Helpline; The Joint CommissionCc: California Consumer Health Care Council; Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Michael Moore; Christina Gonzalez; Charles Phillips M.D.; Vickie Travis; Gloria Allred; Contact OPA; Consumers Union; John Metz; Board of Registered NursingSubject: Kaiser Permanente, a husband's cry for help!To: Department of Managed Health Care California HMO Help Center 980 Ninth Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814-2725 888-HMO-2219
The Joint Commission One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 800-994-6610
CC: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 916-445-2841
Office of the Patient Advocate 980 Ninth Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-324-6407
California Consumer Health Care Council P.O. Box 590307 San Francisco CA 94159-0307 415-666-0757
Consumers Union 1535 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-431-6747
Board of Registered Nursing P.O. Box 944210 Sacramento, CA 94244-2100 916-322-3350
Gloria Allred (Legal Expert) Michael Moore (Film Producer) Christina Gonzalez (Fox 11 News) Jia-Rui Chong (Los Angeles Times) Charles Phillips M.D . (Medical Expert) John Metz (Consumer Health Care Expert) Vickie Travis (kaiserpapers.com)
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is [Name Redacted], and based on our prior experiences, I seriously doubt the "Department of Managed Health Care" and or "The Joint Commission" will do anything to help us. It's my belief these two departments are either working with or have absolutely no control over Kaiser Permanente and therefore such complaints are pointless. That being said, this letter will serve as evidence.
Our background: In February 2002, my wife, [Name Redacted] drove herself to Kaiser Permanente and was eventually diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. Unfortunately [Name Redacted] contracted bacterial meningitis during her hospitalization which went undiagnosed and resulted in a life altering brain injury. Afterwards Kaiser claimed that [Name Redacted]'s injury was the result of a highly unlikely toxic reaction. I've turned to the DMHC for help several times since then, but to this day Kaiser has never been held accountable for anything. For additional information regarding [Name Redacted] diagnoses and treatment, please contact "Charles Phillips M.D. (559) 322-1446".
In December 2002, Kaiser claimed our rehabilitation benefits were exhausted and I was forced to bring [Name Redacted] home to care for her myself. Not long afterwards, Kaiser claimed that Debi was custodial and refused to provide any home care. Again the DMHC did nothing. See [Web link removed.]
Our most resent problem: On June 23rd, 2006, I drove [Name Redacted] to the emergency room for what I believed was a urinary tract infection. It was later determined that [Name Redacted] had pneumonia. This condition would have been detected much sooner by a home health professional, but because I lacked the skills necessary to recognize her symptoms, [Name Redacted] likely went without treatment for weeks, which resulted in "loculated fluid" around her left lung and required surgery.
[Name Redacted] spent the following 5 weeks in the hospital, under the care of the very same nurses station that I believe is responsible for her brain injury in the first place. During this time at least one of [Name Redacted]'s nurses falsified documents, stating that medications were given when clearly they were not. I brought this to the attention of two separate Kaiser supervisors, both of which promised to investigate my complaint and get back to me. Unfortunately they both responded by telling me the results of their investigations were inconclusive. See attached.
That being the case, I filed a formal complaint with Kaiser's "Member Services Department". After waiting the allotted 30 days, Kaiser responded by saying the "results cannot be disclosed". See attached.
Our current situation: I believe that Kaiser is the HMO equivalent to Enron. They do what they want without any regard for patient rights. As for filing complaints within their system, it's nothing but a big waste of time, as they control Member Services, the Grievance Process and even the Ombudsman. It may look good on paper, but patients literally have no place to turn for help.
So here again, Kaiser clearly stated on two separate occasions that the results of their investigations were inconclusive. The fact that they are now refusing to disclose the results should not be tolerated. As I mentioned above, such complaints are pointless if nobody is held accountable. Clearly falsifying medical documents is a very serious offence, so allowing Kaiser to simply sweep this under the carpet is completely unacceptable. Therefore I'm asking the "DMHC" and "The Joint Commission" to stop letting Kaiser get away with these injustices and force them into disclosing their results. A prompt response would be greatly appreciated. See attached.
Thank you,
[Names Redacted] Victorville, CA 92395 Home: Cell: Medical Number: Email: Web site:
********************************************************************************** Letter to "The Joint Commission" July 30th, 2006: To Whom It May Concern:
I found a full bag of "Vancomycin" hanging on my wife "[Name Redacted]'s" IV tree on (Thursday 7-20-06), while preparing to move her to the operating room. I immediately asked her nurse "Mario" what he knew about it. He said it was hanging there when he took over @ 7:00 A.M. He then showed me the bag that he had given to [Name Redacted] @ 1:00 P.M. He also said that he had looked at the med sheet to see who had hung it, but all of [Name Redacted]'s meds were signed as if they had been given. From there he went to the refrigerator and found extra bags of Vancomycin with [Name Redacted]'s name on them.
At that point Mario and I walked over to "Helen Newman's" office. Helen is the Department Administrator, but was unfortunately away from her desk. From there I called "Linda Bodell". Linda is Helen's supervisor, and she told me to give the bag to "Martha" (The Charge Nurse). She also said she'd investigate the situation and get back to me.
A short time later I went back to Helen's office. I asked Helen for a copy of the med sheet, but she said they were in the middle of the investigation and would therefore not be willing to give me a copy. I then asked if all the meds had been signed for. She said that they had been, but that it was "not uncommon" for a nurse to sign the drugs off before they were actually given. She then told me to come back in the morning (Friday 7-21-06) and she'd give me the results of her investigation.
The following morning (Friday 7-21-06) I spoke with Helen Newman, but she said they were still investigating our Vancomycin mishap. She said they had one more nurse to interview before she could give me an answer. I asked her how many Vancomycin bags were found in the refrigerator with [Name Redacted]'s name on them, and she said two. She also said it was possible that the extra bags had been missing, or placed on someone else's refrigerator shelf and therefore the nurse(s) may have requested replacement bags from the pharmacy. Once again she told me that it was "not uncommon" for nurses to sign the med sheet before the drugs were actually given.
I waited for Helen Newman's answer until (Thursday 7-27-06). At that point I went back to her office. Helen had the bag that I found on Debi's IV tree in a plastic zip-lock type bag. She told me that she had questioned all of Debi's nurses, but every one of them claimed they had given [Name Redacted] her Vancomycin. She also said she spoke to the pharmacy, but was told they do not keep records for Vancomycin. In other words, if a nurse requested a replacement bag from the pharmacy, the pharmacy would simply replace it without any type of record showing the request or replacement. Once again during our conversation, Helen acknowledged telling me that it was "not uncommon" for nurses to sign the med sheet before the drugs were actually given.
At that point I thanked Helen for her efforts, but felt it was necessary for me to file a formal complaint with "Member Services". I also told her that I was going to speak with her supervisor "Linda Bodell" & contact "The Joint Commission".
From there I met with Member Services "Laurie Walsh" and filed a formal complaint. Afterwards I called "Linda Bodell". I told Linda what Helen had said with regards to nurses signing for drugs before they were actually given. I also told her I was going to contact "The Joint Commission". Linda said she would investigate the situation herself and asked me to wait until she had finished before calling "The Joint Commission"…I agreed.
The following day (Friday 7-28-06), Linda came to Debi's room to give us the results of her investigation. She said that all of [Name Redacted]'s nurses had been questioned, but each of them had said they gave [Name Redacted] her Vancomycin. She also said that she contacted the pharmacy, but was told that no additional labels had been printed for [Name Redacted]. Therefore no replacement Vancomycin had ever been ordered for her. As to Helen Newman's comment regarding nurses signing for drugs before they were actually given. Linda said that Helen denied ever telling me that. Linda did however acknowledged that there were extra bags, but said she did not know why.
Here's our dilemma: [Name Redacted] was scheduled to receive Vancomycin @ 1:00 P.M. & 1:00 A.M. daily for treatment of "Staphylococcus Aureus". Given the fact that "Mario" gave [Name Redacted] her 1:00 P.M. dose, there should have only been one bag left in the refrigerator, but "Helen Newman" said there were two. That coupled with the one hanging on her IV tree means there were two bags that Kaiser cannot account for.
As part of the Vancomycin complaint, it's important to note that I found the bag on (Thursday 7-20-06), yet the bag was spiked with tubing that was labeled in green "Change by Tuesday". Given the fact that the tubing is only good for four days, the bag was clearly spiked with outdated tubing. It's also important to note that the tubing was not connected to [Name Redacted]'s IV. It looked as though someone had hung it, but forgot to finish the job. See attached photo.
My second complaint is that during [Name Redacted]'s five-week stay at Kaiser Fontana, the vast majority of her nurses were not using the "Identi-Hide" labels. These labels are supposed to be affixed over the top of the patient's IV label before discarding. I personally witnessed nearly all of [Name Redacted]'s nurses simply tossing her infused IV bags in the trash without using these labels. At one point I actually removed a bag from the trash and asked her nurse why she would throw it away without covering [Name Redacted]'s medical information. She said she had done it because there were no labels in her room. I asked her to please get some and make sure they were used in the future. It's important to note that I spoke to both Linda Bodell & Helen Newman about these labels and the nurse's failure to use them. I also included it as part of my complaint with Member Services. See attached photo.
I'd also like to mention that [Name Redacted] suffered a horrific brain injury resulting from bacterial meningitis she contracted while undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia in March 2002. At that time [Name Redacted] was under the care of the very same nurses station that cannot account of the extra Vancomycin we discovered. Also "Sunil J Patel M.D." was Debi's oncologist at that time. He is currently serving a seven-year probation period for the death of two patients, yet he is also in charge of the Fontana Kaiser Oncology Department…why?
As a side note, the Fontana Kaiser Neonatal Ward was closed in March 2002 as a result of "Staphylococcus Aureus". [Name Redacted] contracted bacterial meningitis at the very same time.
Contact information:
Linda J. Bodell, RN, MSN Clinical Director Medical/Surgical Services 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-4156
Helen Newman, RN Department Administrator Oncology 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-6158
Laurie Walsh Member Services 9961 Sierra Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 909-427-5823
Please help us get some more conclusive answers to these very troubling questions.
Thank you,
[Names Redacted] Victorville, CA 92395 Home: Cell: Medical Number: Email: Web site:
