Patients

Legal News Aug 15, 2016

One Lawsuit Dismissed, Another Allowed to Proceed in Case of HIV-positive Surgical Tech Who Stole Syringes

Judges have issued competing rulings over the validity of lawsuits filed by patients who fear they may have been infected by a former surgical technologist at Swedish Medical Center who stole painkiller syringes while he was HIV positive. Denver District Court Judge Jay Grant on Thursday dismissed one of the lawsuits because free blood tests offered by Swedish had not found infections among …

Lawsuits Aug 8, 2016

Lawsuit Challenges Recent Amendment to Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act

A recently enacted law amending Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HRC Act) is the subject of a new lawsuit claiming the change unlawfully limits the conscience rights of health care personnel by requiring them to refer patients to other providers for procedures they object to on religious grounds. SB 1564 requires health care facilities to develop protocols that …

Lawsuits, News Aug 5, 2016

Seattle Pain Centers Probe Leads to L&I Action, Lawsuit

Fallout from a state crackdown on the medical director of a chain of Washington pain clinics has expanded with new sanctions against more providers — and a lawsuit filed by the family of a patient who died. As many as 20 health-care providers who worked for Seattle Pain Centers have been suspended from the state Labor & Industries department network, which authorizes treatment for workers’ …

Lawsuits Jul 29, 2016

Lawsuit Alleges Overbilling by Some at UPMC

Neurosurgeon J. William Bookwalter was examining a colleague’s patient who had back troubles when he made an unusual discovery: The operation that his colleague billed Medicare for was far more extensive than the one actually done, according to allegations contained in a lawsuit. A review of two more back operations performed by UPMC neurosurgeon Ghassan Bejjani on another patient yielded the …

Lawsuits Jul 1, 2016

Civil Rights Lawsuit Aims to Keep Elderly Couple Together

The fight continues for an elderly couple forced to live apart during their final years. Noboru and Elaine Kawamoto were staying at an assisted living facility when his health started to deteriorate. Because he needs constant care, he’s now living in a care home in Kaneohe, but state law prevents his wife from joining him.

Lawsuits Jun 23, 2016

Suit Claims Northwest Hospital Fails to Screen for Charity Care

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center fails to properly screen poor patients eligible for charity care, instead sending their debts for collection in violation of state law, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday. The suit, filed in King County Superior Court, seeks damages on behalf of two low-income men who sought emergency services at Northwest, which is operated by UW Medicine. It …

Lawsuits Jun 23, 2016

Woman Alleges in Proposed Class Action That Sister Breached Patient Privacy

An Ontario woman has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against a hospital, an ophthalmologist and his assistant — who happens to be her sister — alleging a “serious and prolonged” invasion of privacy which may have potentially impacted a number of patients. In a statement of claim filed in a Toronto court, Katie Mallinson alleges her sister, Lisa Lyons, used her access to …

Lawsuits May 26, 2016

Government Jumps Into Whistle-Blower Lawsuit Against Prime

The U.S. Justice Department has joined a whistle-blower’s lawsuit against Prime Healthcare Services alleging the hospital chain fraudulently billed Medicare for beneficiaries admitted as inpatients when they should have been treated as outpatients. The government filed notice in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday saying it would partly intervene in the case. Whistle-blower cases often …

Lawsuits May 23, 2016

Lawsuit Filed in New Hampshire Hepatitis Infection Case

Exeter Hospital has filed another lawsuit in hopes of getting others to pay for settlements it reached after a traveling medical technician infected patients with hepatitis C. David Kwiatkowski is serving 39 years in prison for stealing painkillers and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood. Despite being fired numerous times over drug allegations, he …

Legal News May 23, 2016

Judge Says Bridgewater State Hospital Lawsuit Should Move Forward

A Superior Court judge has allowed a lawsuit against the state to proceed on grounds that conditions at troubled Bridgewater State Hospital may violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, a ruling that underscores the controversial use of seclusion and restraints at the facility. The lawsuit, filed by the families of three former Bridgewater patients, claims that officials discriminate …