thedrifter
01-19-06, 07:31 AM
January 18, 2006
Under fire, Jacksonville Naval Hospital announces its new strategic plan
By William H. McMichael
Times Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Naval Hospital’s commanding officer used Wednesday’s “town hall” meeting to unveil a new strategic plan aimed at making the facility “first in service” – and to answer concerns over recent news stories highlighting a string of medical malpractice cases here since 2000.
Most of those in attendance, however, seemed more concerned about wait times and the occasional lack of courtesy.
“I’ve seen an attitude: ‘We’re doing you a favor for providing your health care,’ ” said Capt. Doug Newman, a military judge who attended the midafternoon gathering in the hospital’s galley.
Capt. Raquel Bono said that’s something she’s trying to fix. “He’s describing something that I don’t ever want to happen,” she told the group of about 22 family members and retirees, and a couple dozen uniformed Navy personnel, who showed up for the advertised meeting.
Others complained about long wait times for appointments.
But the irritation of being treated rudely pales in comparison to malpractice that results in serious injury or death. Since 2000, at least 12 medical malpractice suits brought against Jacksonville Naval Hospital have resulted in a judgment against the government or a settlement. And one of those victims showed up to ask about the consequences for negligent caregivers.
“I would like to know how the Navy is holding them accountable for the mishaps and problems they do to people,” said Dona Perez. Perez had her bladder “nicked” during a 1999 hysterectomy and then — in a subsequent operation to remove the kidney that subsequently lost all function as a result of the “repair” to the bladder, according to court records — had the main vein leading from the lower torso to the heart sliced in two, causing a heart attack and nearly killing her.
Bono said that the hospital conducts a “quality care review” of such incidents and that those deemed serious undergo peer review, which can result in restricting a doctor’s staff privileges. The hospital also asks the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to review the case. That can result in a higher-level peer review and, if the Navy surgeon general chooses, the doctor is reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which maintains a permanent record of the malpractice, possibly impeding future employment.
The hospital can also make reports to the licensing board in the state where the physician is licensed, she said.
“And how long has this been going on?” Perez demanded. As long as she’d been in the Navy – about 23 years, Bono said
Afterward, Perez said she wasn’t satisfied with Bono’s answer.
“I want to see something done statewide and federalwide,” Perez said. “I don’t want [Navy or contract physicians found culpable in malpractice cases] to be able to go on the outside and practice bad medicine.”
Bono told Navy Times last week that the meeting was not scheduled in response to recent news stories about malpractice lawsuits against the hospital or to the interest of Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who called her to his Washington office in early December to brief his staff. She said the hospital has held such meetings quarterly — but that doing so Wednesday was “good timing,” allowing her to address the concerns and unveil the hospital’s new strategic plan, a four-goal vision that includes supporting operational readiness; focusing on staff; “patient-centered” health care; and promoting sound business practices.
Some attendees complimented the hospital. “I’m just here to praise you all,” said one woman, who did not identify herself and quickly left after the meeting. “We’ve been totally satisfied,” said the wife of a retired Navy man, neither of whom identified themselves.
Newman’s wife, Mila, also praised the hospital for the care she received — after her problem, which she called too personal to describe, was finally diagnosed. The delay, she said, was caused by a lack of continuity of care, or seeing the same physicians on a regular basis. In a six-month period from February through July 2005, she was seen by four different doctors, some of whom were deployed overseas.
“I fell through the cracks,” she said.
Afterward, Bono said that continuity of care is “something that we’re trying to enhance.” At the same time, she said, “This is part of the reality of being in the military. I have some of my staff that gets deployed on a moment’s notice.” By organizing her staff into teams and changing from a paper to an electronic medical records system, she said, those problems will be greatly alleviated.
Local attorney Sean Cronin said that continuity of care has been a major factor in a number of malpractice cases he’s worked on. And while Bono described those cases as events that “happened in the past,” Cronin, who said he was called Wednesday by a Nelson aide seeking input on the cases he’s working on, pointed to at least four cases against the hospital that are still in litigation. He also said he’s reviewing another eight cases, all stemming from procedures that took place in 2005.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that they’re really trying to make changes internally,” Cronin said. “I think [Wednesday’s meeting] is damage control on behalf of the Navy hospital. But I think it also indicates that this is getting attention at the highest level.”
William H. McMichael is the Hampton Roads bureau chief for Navy Times.
Ellie
Under fire, Jacksonville Naval Hospital announces its new strategic plan
By William H. McMichael
Times Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Naval Hospital’s commanding officer used Wednesday’s “town hall” meeting to unveil a new strategic plan aimed at making the facility “first in service” – and to answer concerns over recent news stories highlighting a string of medical malpractice cases here since 2000.
Most of those in attendance, however, seemed more concerned about wait times and the occasional lack of courtesy.
“I’ve seen an attitude: ‘We’re doing you a favor for providing your health care,’ ” said Capt. Doug Newman, a military judge who attended the midafternoon gathering in the hospital’s galley.
Capt. Raquel Bono said that’s something she’s trying to fix. “He’s describing something that I don’t ever want to happen,” she told the group of about 22 family members and retirees, and a couple dozen uniformed Navy personnel, who showed up for the advertised meeting.
Others complained about long wait times for appointments.
But the irritation of being treated rudely pales in comparison to malpractice that results in serious injury or death. Since 2000, at least 12 medical malpractice suits brought against Jacksonville Naval Hospital have resulted in a judgment against the government or a settlement. And one of those victims showed up to ask about the consequences for negligent caregivers.
“I would like to know how the Navy is holding them accountable for the mishaps and problems they do to people,” said Dona Perez. Perez had her bladder “nicked” during a 1999 hysterectomy and then — in a subsequent operation to remove the kidney that subsequently lost all function as a result of the “repair” to the bladder, according to court records — had the main vein leading from the lower torso to the heart sliced in two, causing a heart attack and nearly killing her.
Bono said that the hospital conducts a “quality care review” of such incidents and that those deemed serious undergo peer review, which can result in restricting a doctor’s staff privileges. The hospital also asks the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to review the case. That can result in a higher-level peer review and, if the Navy surgeon general chooses, the doctor is reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which maintains a permanent record of the malpractice, possibly impeding future employment.
The hospital can also make reports to the licensing board in the state where the physician is licensed, she said.
“And how long has this been going on?” Perez demanded. As long as she’d been in the Navy – about 23 years, Bono said
Afterward, Perez said she wasn’t satisfied with Bono’s answer.
“I want to see something done statewide and federalwide,” Perez said. “I don’t want [Navy or contract physicians found culpable in malpractice cases] to be able to go on the outside and practice bad medicine.”
Bono told Navy Times last week that the meeting was not scheduled in response to recent news stories about malpractice lawsuits against the hospital or to the interest of Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who called her to his Washington office in early December to brief his staff. She said the hospital has held such meetings quarterly — but that doing so Wednesday was “good timing,” allowing her to address the concerns and unveil the hospital’s new strategic plan, a four-goal vision that includes supporting operational readiness; focusing on staff; “patient-centered” health care; and promoting sound business practices.
Some attendees complimented the hospital. “I’m just here to praise you all,” said one woman, who did not identify herself and quickly left after the meeting. “We’ve been totally satisfied,” said the wife of a retired Navy man, neither of whom identified themselves.
Newman’s wife, Mila, also praised the hospital for the care she received — after her problem, which she called too personal to describe, was finally diagnosed. The delay, she said, was caused by a lack of continuity of care, or seeing the same physicians on a regular basis. In a six-month period from February through July 2005, she was seen by four different doctors, some of whom were deployed overseas.
“I fell through the cracks,” she said.
Afterward, Bono said that continuity of care is “something that we’re trying to enhance.” At the same time, she said, “This is part of the reality of being in the military. I have some of my staff that gets deployed on a moment’s notice.” By organizing her staff into teams and changing from a paper to an electronic medical records system, she said, those problems will be greatly alleviated.
Local attorney Sean Cronin said that continuity of care has been a major factor in a number of malpractice cases he’s worked on. And while Bono described those cases as events that “happened in the past,” Cronin, who said he was called Wednesday by a Nelson aide seeking input on the cases he’s working on, pointed to at least four cases against the hospital that are still in litigation. He also said he’s reviewing another eight cases, all stemming from procedures that took place in 2005.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that they’re really trying to make changes internally,” Cronin said. “I think [Wednesday’s meeting] is damage control on behalf of the Navy hospital. But I think it also indicates that this is getting attention at the highest level.”
William H. McMichael is the Hampton Roads bureau chief for Navy Times.
Ellie