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VMC Renton, Washington: where death happens and no one seems to care

WHAT I AM HEARING FROM YOU...

Despite some you in the medical community, I hear things from others that are in the same field - their beliefs and views on integrity appear quite opposite. They are concerned about a patients safety and realize the cancer (medical errors cost billions + infections versus prevention, etc. = the desired revenue over patient safety) that has brought our healthcare system down to its knees. I will be sharing the best ones here...

Funny thing happened to me tonight when I was googling the MQAC site- I ran across your blog. I was immediately impressed with your fortitude. Not many can suffer fools and have the foresight to take notes during the process. An astronomical amount of lip service goes into quality in medicine. Your bog doesn't even begin to touch on the sinister motivation of money for both hospital and doctors. I met a lady once who was written off by firefighters and a hospital ED as being "just drunk." Sadly she wasn't drunk at all but had suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage which despite their actions she lived through.

I came across a quote in a patient safety magazine I hope you can use...

The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity…these are the choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

In memory of Justin Micalizzi 5/31/89 – 1/16/01
Died during an anesthesia mishap during knee surgery




"I extend my utmost sympathy and compassion and outrage at the loss of your son, Mark….to die as he did savages the heart.

Sadly, what you describe is not an isolated phenomenon, but a preverbal malignancy in the practice of medicine. There is no one to blame save for physicians themselves who turn blind eyes to these processes and sell their oath for scattered pieces of silver. This is not all physicians, but enough to allow corruption to go unchecked. I apologize if I am brutal. What happened to Mark may have been preventable. I applaud your championship. I share your grief for your son; perhaps you will share mine for the looming death of Hippocratic practice of medicine.”

4 comments:

  1. I know (from bitter experience)that you took on this challenge with unbelievable energy and courage. I salute you. One person cannot stand against the force of medical arrogance while advocating for a loved one at the same time... without enormous emotional cost.

    Patient advocates are the ENEMY to most medical personnel. They are a deadly threat and must be marginalized at all costs.

    And, because they ARE lay people facing against the medical profession, they are routinely targeted as silly, ignorant, overemotional troublemakers.

    Thank you for the incredible gift of this blog detailing the efforts on behalf of your son.
    At the end of the this long, valiant fight, alone in enemy territory, you lost him anyway. Bless you for what you have done and continue to do...your son will not die in vain.

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  2. JP, Thank you so much for your words of wisdom, so very well put, and something all of us should read - then read once again. I wish I didn't have to agree with you in how the Patient Advocate is treated (obviously we both know this well) - I can only hope that in the future this changes. What I have witnessed thus far in the agencies (hospitals, doctors, regulatory agencies [DOH, Qualis, LeapFrog], etc.) that are supposed to protect us - it's a very, very long way off - WE ARE the enemy. It's almost like climbing/sumitting Mt. Everest when you are disabled. The sad part is for those that will seek medical treatment in the very near future and die because of hospital errors. I hope they educate themselves before it's too late. Thank you again - Mark was such a wonderful, funny, caring son - I don't want him to die in vain and be just another "number."

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  3. Anonymous10:27 AM

    There no words that can discribe how proud I am of you. The courge, your devotion to the cause and your desire to help prevent this from happening to another mother. Many times in history one voice that was strong enough to speak out started the change to hold people accountable for what they were doing. In this case leagle murder

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  4. Thank you so much for such strong words of praise. I just hope that I will be able to keep up with the others out there doing the same and drive some serious change here in Washington State - and maybe others. Legalized murder - I think it happens more than the public realizes and wants to admit. Thank you again - I will make you proud.

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