Patient Safety Express - Day 2

This morning, the “Patient Safety Express” made its way to Albany.  The 15-foot syringe and handful more medical malpractice survivors made it through the metal detectors at the State Capitol to tell their stories to the media.   LuAnn Caruso was nearly in tears as she talked about her brother who went blind after a doctor ignored the recommendation that he have an MRI after he went to the emergency room with a terrible headache.  Ruben Rodriguez clutched a photo of his 16-year-old son with hydrocephalus that was not properly diagnosed caused irreversible brain damage.  Kim Bennett told the media of his years of pain after a neurosurgeon performed extensive and unnecessary surgeries on his neck.  Jaden, an adorable spunky eight-year-old sat patiently during the press conference with his mother as his Grandmother told the story of his traumatic birth injuries, the subsequent surgeries and lifetime of physical therapy.

“The fact that the medical lobby in New York fails to address its member's professional failure to prioritize the safety of patients is troubling,” said Art Levin, Director of the Center for Medical Consumers.  “The facts are clear; thousands of patients in New York continue to die from preventable injuries each year. Yet MSSNY chooses to spend an enormous amount of energy, time and money tilting at liability windmills instead of focusing on the wellbeing of the patients they claim to care so much about.”

As National Patient Safety Week is observed, one thing is clear: New York’s patient safety standards are weak at best.  Governor Spitzer and the Legislature need to take action to protect patients.  Keep watching where the “Patient Safety Express” goes next…