Now that John Stossel’s Gone, 20/20 Reports on Patient Safety

Since John Stossel has gone over to Fox Business News where he should be more at home, we’re happy to see 20/20 focusing on some better stories – like tonight’s piece on actress Alicia Cole (pictured).  Alicia went to the hospital to undergo a routine gynecological procedure and ended up getting a hospital-acquired infection known as “flesh eating disease.” 

“My stomach just rotted, right before my eyes.  It looked like black tar, or burned rubber.  I was swelling.  It was horrible.”  Cole goes on to say she “attributes her infection to the carelessness of health care personnel, who she says failed to observe basic sanitary standards during her surgery and post-operative care.”  The report cites an Australian study, which found that just 9 percent of doctors comply with recommended hand washing procedures.
 
“What happened to me in the hospital was absolutely preventable,” said Cole.

Check out a video preview of the segment here.