Heavy mold growth was found in the linens of two University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) hospitals, leading to the death of five people since October 2014. Now a sixth wrongful death lawsuit, this one stemming from a third UPMC facility, Shadyside Hospital, was filed on Tuesday.
Christopher Duntsch, a surgeon in Dallas County, Texas, received a felony charge for botching Mary Efurd’s spinal fusion in 2012.
A new court filing has indicated that The Environmental Protection Agency may be aiding Monsanto in a cover-up.
DuPont and Chemours settle cancer-causing chemicals lawsuit.
Drug overdose calls have skyrocketed in Louisville, and national numbers are on the rise.
Urgent cares and hospitals are busy this time of the year. Between the flu, colds, and rare cases of pneumonia, people across the country tend to catch more infections during the winter months than any other time of the year. Unfortunately, this means an increased number of patients experiencing a situation known as “surprise billing.” This is when “a patient goes to a hospital that is covered by her insurance but ends up receiving a bill for out-of-network services.” Not only is this unfair to patients, but it can have lasting impacts on their finances. Fortunately, legislators in Georgia are preparing new bills designed to put an end to surprise billing. That comes as a relief for many, especially for Dan Harrison, a recent victim of surprise billing.
Apology laws. We’ve all seen them in action on the various doctor shows out there, or maybe you’ve experienced them in person. They’re laws that allow “physicians to express sympathy to patients and families without it being used against them.” One of the reasons why they were implemented in the first place was to reduce the number of medical malpractice suits being filed. However, a new study conducted by a team from Vanderbilt University has revealed that apology laws do not reduce “the number of medical malpractice suits filed, or the amounts paid out.” In fact, the opposite has occurred. Enacted in 32 states across the country, the apology laws, or “I’m sorry” laws have actually “increased the number of suits against non-surgeons.”
As drillers (and veterans) reconverge at Standing Rock to build (and protest) the Dakota Access pipeline, toxic spills (and their costs) once again inspire public outcry. Native people rightfully worry about the integrity of their land and water. After all, on January 30th, another Enbridge pipeline burst in Texas (for the second time since it opened in 2016). This one spewed 600,000 gallons of crude; what will a similar spill do to the Missouri river? Pipelines fail, and it’s not a matter of if but when. Leaky pipelines, train derailments, and other accidents endanger all of our water on a regular basis.
Patients at the Toledo Clinic Cognitive Center were recently wrongfully diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Patricia Astone passed away in November from septic shock due to a urinary tract infection. Was Patti’s death preventable?