Patients // Current

100 tools and resources to secure your health records

The following list contains 100 tools and resources you can use to make an informed decision about this issue. Health records... more

sunnyspeaks
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Ban on hospitals selling junk food

The assembly government in Wales has introduced a ban on hospital vending machines selling junk food. Unhealthy snacks such as... more

ClareW
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Parrot that helps stroke patients speak safely returned to its owner

WHITE CASTLE, LA (WAFB) - An expensive African Grey Parrot is back home after escaping a Gustav-damaged cage in White Castle. ... more

GETTINGOUTOURDREAMS
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Thinktank says NHS should use internet more

A King's Fund thinktank has said today that the NHS should revolutionize communication with patients by using the internet... more

ClareW
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Female Therapist Admits Rape of a Teen Patient

Jennifer Hastings, 33-year-old psychologist admitted to committing the sex offenses she faced involving a freshman boy she was... more

b2r
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25 Awesome Virtual Worlds for Doctors, Nurses, and Patients

From nurses wanting to learn more about continuing education or new medical trends to cancer patients looking for a little... more

sunnyspeaks
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2 NM Hostpital Workers Fired For Taking Photos

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Two University of New Mexico Hospital employees have been fired for using their cell phone cameras to take photos of patients receiving treatment and then posting the images to a social networking Web site.

Director of Public Affairs Sam Giammo said Sunday the photos — mainly close-ups of injuries being treated in the Albuquerque hospital's emergency room over the past few months — were posted on an employee's private MySpace page.

Giammo said he's never heard of a similar incident at the University of New Mexico Hospital or any other hospital.

A few other hospital employees were disciplined and the investigation is ongoing, he said.

UNMH values patient privacy "very, very highly and we will do everything we can to protect them," Giammo said. "We just won't tolerate unprofessional actions by any of our staff. We just won't stand for that."

The photos were discovered after a hospital supervisor received an anonymous tip about them Tuesday and launched an investigation.

Hospital managers personally oversaw the removal of the photos from the Web site and from the employees' cell phones, Giammo said.

"We have to rely on the people telling us that they don't have any others," he said.

The patients in the photos could not be notified that their pictures had been taken because their faces and personal identifying features had been removed from the photos, Giammo said.

Giammo said the MySpace page could only be accessed by the employee's online friends, not the general public.

Giammo said the employees who were fired violated a hospital policy that bans the use of cell phone cameras in patient areas. The other employees were disciplined for not bringing the photos to the attention of managers, he said.

The hospital is treating the matter as an employment issue and law enforcement has not been involved, Giammo said.

The use of cell phone cameras in hospitals have caused breaches of patient privacy or concern about such violations in California, Arizona and South Dakota in recent years. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Two University of New Mexico Hospital employees have been fired for using their cell phone cameras to take... more

J_Jammer
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2 responses

1 month ago

US HEALTH SCARE: Patient dies after no care for 22 hours

Hospital staff chose to play cards and watch TV instead. A hospital patient in the US state of North Carolina died after th... more

Jaeger
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2 responses

3 months ago

Dead body left unattended on hospital ward

A body was left alongside other patients in a Glasgow hospital ward for seven hours. Christine Martin told BBC Scotland how her... more

JanaPokana
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1 response

3 months ago

UK hospitals infested with rats, maggots and cockroaches

Frequent invasions of rats, fleas, bedbugs, flies and cockroaches are threatening the cleanliness and safety of most NHS hospitals... more

JanaPokana
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4 responses

4 months ago

Woman dies in hospital waiting room, no one around her tries to help

Collapses, waits 45 minutes for response

KINGS COUNTY (WABC) -- A 49-year-old woman who was brought to the psychiatric ward at Kings County Hospital died after collapsing in the waiting area. She was found unresponsive on the floor 45 minutes later, despite being surrounded by other people who did nothing to help her.

The whole incident was caught on a hospital surveillance camera.

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation reported the incident surrounding the woman's death to a number of health oversight agencies and law enforcement authorities.

While the case is under further review, HHC President Alan Aviles directed the suspension or termination of six hospital employees, including staff involved with the direct care of the patient, as well as managers of security and clinical services.

The woman was brought to the Psychiatric Emergency Department at the hospital by EMS on the morning of June 18 suffering from agitation and psychosis. Officials say she refused medical review and was involuntarily admitted. She was in the Psychiatric ED waiting room, waiting for a bed in the inpatient unit to become available.

Early in the morning on June 19, she was found unresponsive on the floor. The video shows her falling out of the chair and onto the floor, thrashing about and kicking her legs. There were at least three other patients in the waiting area at the time, and several employees of the hospital are seen looking at her on the floor and walking away.

A preliminary review conducted by Kings County Hospital and HHC staff has determined the patient remained on the floor for 45 minutes before she received medical attention.

"We are all shocked and distressed by this situation," Aviles said. "What our investigation so far determined violates the basic principles of the compassionate healthcare practiced every day here at Kings County and across our public hospital system. We express our deep regrets to the patient's family and will ensure a thorough investigation to answer any questions that remain."

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation released the following statement:

"It is clear that some of our employees failed to act based on our compassionate standards of care. Immediately after the incident was discovered on June 20, and following a preliminary investigation by HHC staff, HHC President Alan D. Aviles directed the suspension and termination of those involved. The case and video surveillance tapes were immediately turned over to a number of health oversight agencies, medical misconduct boards and law enforcement.

****please read my comment towards the bottom. The same thing happened in LA last month!*****Collapses, waits 45 minutes for response KINGS COUNTY (WABC) -- A 49-year-old woman who was brought to the psychiatric ward at... more