Hollywood, Florida -  Expert Witnesses
Wand, Paul - Hollywood, fl


Livingston, Peter - Hollywood, FL
Diagnostic Radiology - Malpractice Defense

Sharon, Thomas A. - Hollywood, FL
Hospital Mistakes: Medical Errors, Blunders and Foul-ups; Where will the buck stop? The public safety issue of hospital mistakes being the fifth leading cause of death in the United States is once again gaining some notoriety, but this crucial subject is not exactly making headlines. However, there does seem to be more chatter about it in the “blogosphere”. It seems that since Medicare policy makers decided to refuse payment for medical and nursing blunders, all of the third party payers of health care services, such as state Medicaid systems and private carriers, have followed suit. On the surface, one might be glad of this change because until October, 2008, hospitals would actually cash in on substandard care. Hurting people was actually more profitable that healing them. Although we can be certain that hospital executives for the most part were not making conscious decisions to allow untoward events to occur in order to increase their revenue, many have certainly demonstrated a lackluster motivation for taking effective preventive action. Therefore, it seems logical to assume that the prospect of eating the higher costs of hospital-induced complications would motivate the governing bodies to achieve a serious clinical transformation. On the other hand, it is not so clear that the motivation for denying payment for iatrogenic illness and injury is prevention for public safety. It seems more like a bandwagon that government agencies and insurance companies jumped on to avoid paying large chunks of hospital bills. Moreover, in the new avalanche of payment denials, the third party payers have had to accuse the provider of negligence by identifying the unexpected complication as the result of a “never event” and satisfy the burden of proof against a vigorous defense. Each of these challenges will probably take more than a decade because of the several layers of administrative appeals that the parties must climb through before going to court. Therefore, it is not surprising that this new wave of financial pressure is ineffectual. Hospital mistakes continue to claim the lives of about 200,000 people every year. Consequently, in order reduce the onslaught of wrongful death and catastrophic injury arising from hospitalization; we have to become more cognizant of the meaning of terms like “hospital mistakes” or “medical errors”. We have to understand exactly what is going on in the hospitals that repeatedly cause the same blunders in every facility in America. The answer is clear; the physical structure, management style and method of delivery are similarly flawed, which causes the same mishaps to keep reoccurring. This situation is comparable to the defects in the Boeing 737 aircraft, which had caused the cancelling of hundreds of commercial flights. However, hospitals must remain open and financially viable to serve the greater good. For most families the hospital is an integral part of the survival of our loved ones. Therefore we need to understand these “never events” that are always happening and their root causes. Therefore, we shall explore these “always happening never events” as follows: Errors of Commission: overt acts that deviate from accepted standards such as: Invasive blunders Traumatic transfers Misapplication of forceps Administering harmful medication or treatment Withholding medication or treatment Physical abuse Errors of Omission: failure to provide services resulting in an adverse event: Failure to take a proper history Failure to report changes in clinical condition Failure to maintain safety protocols Failure to maintain pressure ulcer prevention Failure to wash hands between patients Failure to make risk assessments Risk Factors Predisposing to Medical Errors New Technology Staffing Shortage Teaching Hospital High Patient Acuity Patients with Mental Status Deterioration Staff Members in ill health Medical specialization – “It’s not my job” Poor listening skills Arrogance Root Causes Poor Communication Emergency Room Overcrowded with Long Waiting Times Non-Disclosure of Risks to Patients and Family Chronic Cash Flow Deficit Operating Rooms Closed at Night Ineffective Nurse Recruitment Poor Labor Relations Equipment and Building in Disrepair In conclusion, we can now see clearly that intervention for prevention is not about reward and punishment. It is bout clinical transformation. People run every aspect of the system from top to bottom, so it is the hospital staff who need to change their already-always ways of doing things by changing their familiar ways of being in the clinical setting.

Dufek, Michael A. - Hollywood, FL
Optometric standard of care; Extensive experience with the medical aspects of Optometry as they relate to medico-legal matters. University affiliated as well as private practice for over 10 years. Nationally recognized speaker. Experience with case review, depositions and independent medical examinations.

Waardenburg, Thomas - Hollywood, FL
Elevator expert witness, accident investigation, detailed elevator system review and reporting, and litigation support nation-wide.

Waardenburg, QEI, Thomas - Hollywood, FL
Professional elevator litigation consulting, review, and expert witness with regard to elevator accidents, elevator code compliance, ADA issues, and elevator maintenance contract non-performance disputes throughout the State of Florida. Over 25 years of experience within the elevator industry. Also providing fully licensed and insured elevator inspection and consultant services, performance reviews, project management, and specifications for building owners, managers, contractors and legal counsel. Please visit our website (www.ElevatorInspector.com) for additional information about our services and areas of expertise.

Find a Lawyer

Subject:
City:
State:
 

Find a Case

Subject:
County:
State: