A Google search brings up a page giving some stats for DePaul Health Center. I learn that that 67 percent of patients would definitely recommend the hospital to family and friends; five percent probably or definitely would not. I clicked again on a link leading me to patient satisfaction survey results, and found that 69 percent of patients give the hospital their highest or a very high rating.
But what about the patient and his wrong-site kidney surgery? Families might be interested in what procedures led to the doctor’s error, and other troubles at the hospital. Kohler tells us, though, that is precisely what we cannot find out.
Here's a link to "Girl, 16, dies during restraint at an already-troubled hospital" by Blythe Bernhard and Jeremy Kohler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch http://tinyurl.com/273ygqj
#1 Posted by Jackie Hutcherson, CJR on Tue 3 Aug 2010 at 03:11 PM
Madam -- this is not clear.
Did Mr. Kohler "get the goods" -- or not? Were his sources correct -- or not? I've been around hospitals for years and rumors were rife -- "we're going bankrupt" was a popular one.
Journalism 101 -- get the goods. Be the old-timer who gets all the names -- spelled correctly.
#2 Posted by Frank, CJR on Tue 3 Aug 2010 at 07:12 PM
We don't have to be distressed reading stories about medical errors here is in upstate New York. For more than a decade the newspapers in Albany have ignored dozens of lawsuits alleging medical malpractice, while receiving hundred of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue from medical providers.
Letters to the editor and publisher of the area's largest newspaper, the Times Union, have received no response.
#3 Posted by David Baker, CJR on Wed 4 Aug 2010 at 09:20 AM
Frank, I've been asked to respond to your question. My partner Blythe and I confirmed from CMS that there was a wrong-kidney surgery at DePaul in 2007. We know there is no public lawsuit about the case. CMS says the fault lay solely on the surgeon; yet no surgeon was ever publicly disciplined.
We know that a patient that got $1.7 million for a wrong-site surgery involving urology in the St. Louis area during that timeframe in a claim settled out of court. We can only say that it sure looks like the same case. As the story says, without identifiers in the public data, we can't be sure.
Yes, I think we got "the goods," in that we demonstrated what it takes to confirm a serious medical error by asking direct questions and requesting public records and data.
#4 Posted by Jeremy Kohler, CJR on Wed 4 Aug 2010 at 11:07 AM
I agree that Kohler got the goods, and I applaud the PD for demonstrating what it takes to get them.
#5 Posted by bruce rushton, CJR on Wed 4 Aug 2010 at 01:56 PM
WRITING THE LEDE
"A federal agency confirmed to the PD that there was a wrong-kidney surgery @ DePaul in 2007."
"CJR loves the PD story that revealed there was a .."
"Hiding the lede?"
FYI: people are busy. Getting quickly to the point helps. As in, "HEADLESS BODY FOUND IN TOPLESS BAR"
#6 Posted by Frank, CJR on Wed 4 Aug 2010 at 04:34 PM
Frank -
At the risk of feeding a particularly pompous troll, I might as well point out to you that this is a post about journalism -- not about breaking news.
CJR does that sometimes.
#7 Posted by Bert, CJR on Thu 5 Aug 2010 at 12:34 PM
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#8 Posted by tiffany jewelry, CJR on Sat 19 Feb 2011 at 12:42 AM
wow, I thought it was just enough to check if a surgeon was Board Certified and there are state websites where this info is available. Putting the wrong kidney in is a big deal and patients have the right to know what kind of doctor they are dealing with.
Ford St Louis
#9 Posted by Jackie, CJR on Fri 9 Sep 2011 at 05:58 PM