“It doesn’t matter how sick you are,” says Leah Binder. “The surgeon and operating room team shouldn’t be leaving sponges or surgical tools in you.”
We suspect that every one of our blog readers in Michigan and across the country agrees strongly with Binder’s view.
So too do hospital administrators nationally, although they obviously don’t make similar comments quite as directly as does Binder.
Binder and her organization have been seeking to educate Americans for some years on matters relevant to medical care delivery. A key thrust of the Leapfrog Group – Binder heads that nonprofit entity as its CEO – has always been to spotlight deficiencies in care that need to be addressed and fixed.
Take Leapfrog’s report card, for instance. The group’s latest iteration of that measuring assessment was issued in late Spring of this year. Backed by strong empirical research and reliance on multiple sources of data, Leapfrog gave A-F scores to about 2,600 hospitals across the country. It is flatly unapologetic about doing so, citing a strong need for patients’ enhanced knowledge about care providers and their related autonomy in making informed choices.
Some hospitals emerge with top scores in Leapfrog’s assessments, but legions of facilities nationally show lapses in quality and a propensity for error in matters ranging from medication delivery to surgical mistakes.
Deficiencies are inexcusable, stress Leapfrog and other patient-safety groups, given that patient harm almost never occurs absent negligence committed by medical professionals.
We duly stress on our website at the Michigan-based law firm of McKeen & Associates that claims focused on medical error and resulting patient care can be “intensely complicated.” The deep legal team that heads our leading medical malpractice firm has for decades provided impassioned and effective advocacy to individuals and families spanning the United States who need proven representation in medical negligence matters.
We welcome contacts to the firm.
