Patient Safety Express

Yesterday, John and I joined about 20-25 medical malpractice survivors and boarded the “Patient Safety Express” to kick off National Patient Safety Week in New York State.  We brought the patient safety message to Albany lawmakers to call attention to the 7,000 deaths each year in New York hospitals caused by medical malpractice.

The bus was equipped with a 15-foot mock syringe – a fitting visual since the three-day journey began with a press conference in front of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein’s Long Island office.  Dr. Finkelstein is the anesthesiologist who risked exposing hundreds of patients to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV by re-using syringes.

One of the people who spoke to the press yesterday was Steven Dorfman, who had been a patient of Dr. Finkelstein’s from 2000-2001 and was infected with Hepatitis C.  Dr. Finkelstein received no disciplinary action by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) and continues to practice.

“New York State’s failure to adequately discipline bad doctors is appalling,” added Joanne Doroshow, Executive Director of the Center for Justice & Democracy, who was also on the trip. 

“Only 4% of New York’s doctors are responsible for half of all of the state’s medical malpractice payouts.  How many more people have to be infected by deadly diseases, or killed by incompetent practitioners before the state will act?”

 

Comments

[Teresa Persico]

I would like to thank the Patient Safety Express for all their time and effort in bringing attention to the Dr. Harvey Finkelstein case. It seems that due to the Board of Health the patients who were diagnosed with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV are just supposed to deal with it. I don't know who to be angrier with, Dr. Finkelstein for doing the damage, or to the Board of Health for letting him get away with it. It's sad that these patients have no idea what the future will bring in terms of their illnesses. I would like to thank you for my Mother and all the other patience’s. Thank you again and keep up the great work.