2nd OPINION REQUESTS ARE IGNORED

Does a patient have the right to transfer to another hospital when the errors begin to happen and the patient gets sicker? The frightening answer is NO. We strenuously requested a transfer for Mark to go to Swedish (where Mark's doctors were) and agreed to pay up to $10,000 for it to happen. We should have pulled out all the iv's, put Mark in a wheelchair, drove him to Swedish ourselves and dropped him off at the ER.

Note: What happened prior to me requesting Mark’s transfer to Swedish was Mark went through medication withdrawal, went through toxic drug interactions, was intubated by VMC, acquired 2 bacteria (2 more bacteria were coming soon), you have temporary nurses that don’t know how to operate critical iv pump equipment (and this is on an ICU floor), you have ICU doctors that are beyond arrogant (and inexperienced), and YOU WANT TO GET YOUR SON OUT OF THERE ASAP!!!

VMC REFUSAL FOR ALLOWING A NON-VMC 2nd UNBIASED OPINION

The arrogance and refusal of the VMC ICU doctors to allow a patient to receive an outside, unbiased 2nd opinion (from a non-VMC doctor that would know more ) when their life is at stake should be very bothersome to everyone. VMC presents the data to outside doctors as to not disclose what really happened - hide all the errors. Since Mark’s death I have been told that VMC should have presented Mark’s condition to Swedish (that Mark’s complex issues they created and recovery was way over their knowledge level) but their arrogance and not wanting to disclose the errors got in the way. Mark died as a result of this.

Please see the first letter from Swedish at this link. Swedish says that VMC never contacted them about transferring Mark to be with his regular doctors. This is very alarming news. What is more alarming is that the CMO tells me the same thing in his letter. After all this, Swedish hires Dr. Mary J. Vancleave. 

Definitions for VMC Doctors and staff - Bob Chapman, Rn:

A second opinion is a third party unbiased opinion of the facts and data presented to them. The second opinion is an independent review of the patient, symptoms and drugs given. A second opinion request is not a conversation between doctors about the patient.

A consult is a doctor calling another doctor and asking for advice.

Transfer to Swedish (where all of Mark’s doctors are) is rejected

Please keep this in mind… Mark had Medicare as his primary insurance, Regence Blue Shield as secondary and Medicade third. All the hospital bills (no matter what the cost) will be paid. $0.00 would have been due from Mark. Mark’s hospital bill alone from VMC was over $1,200,000.

November 17: I tell the nurse that I would like to talk to someone about moving Mark to Swedish, my concerns about an evening nurse Ed being rough with Mark, and the lack of communication between the nurses / doctors and patients families.

November 17: I mention to Dr. Suzanne Krell about moving Mark to Swedish. She actually goes on to tell me that Medicare and my insurance will not pay to transfer Mark because that is not a medical necessity. “This hospital can perform almost any procedure.”  What Dr. Suzanne Krell should have said is “they (VMC) can perform procedures incorrectly and repeat multiple times (when the family is away) AND give the patient bacteria they didn’t have when they arrived at VMC. We’ll also give Mark the wrong drugs.” That is more in alignment with what happened. When I tell Dr. Suzanne Krell I will work paying for Mark’s transfer to Swedish she then says I might be able to get my insurance to pay for the hospitalization. Dr. Suzanne Krell says that Mark is not stable enough to transfer so there would be risks.

November 20: We talk about Mark’s transfer to Swedish. She wants to know what she can do so that Mark stays at VMC. We tell her all of Mark’s doctors are at Swedish, he has a 12 year history with them and that we are concerned about all the errors along with the doctors not communicating with each other and us as well as they should.

November 22: Transfer to Swedish – no accepting medical doctor. Dr. Mary J Vancleave says she will work this. We express concern that last week Dr. Ayesha Haq (hospitalist) never tied-in with us. Dr. Mary J Vancleave to address; she says it may have been that the intensivist was the doctor that took charge. We were told the hospitalist is in charge.

November 23: Dr. Mary J Vancleave to try and call Dr. Robert Winrow (Swedish) again today, yesterday she was on hold for a while (it snowed yesterday). She insists she is trying to work the transfer to Swedish but it might take a couple of days.

November 25: Dr. Mary J Vancleave mentions Michele Bohl, a VMC Social Worker, is working the transfer and that the Swedish transfer center wants us to be sure that we know there will be costs incurred for us with the ambulance transfer in the thousands. We accept those expenses, AGAIN!

November 25: I tie in with Michele Bohl later today; she contacted Swedish but they need their Medical Director / Admin approval to transfer Mark. Michele had never heard of that. Apparently this is a lateral transfer (ICU to ICU) and we may be responsible for the ambulance bill ~ which could be in the thousands of dollars. WE SAID WE WOULD PAY FOR IT MANY TIMES!!! Michele says we need to follow-thru with Regence Blue Shield for the authorization of the transfer. Lynn will be the discharge coordinator in Michele’s absence the next couple of days (ext 3377). Michele says to call Dr. Robert Winrow and Dr. Swee Tan (both of Swedish) to encourage the transfer.  Apparently Medicare has a set limit for a diagnosis – called a DRG payment/code. Mark has used up his Medicare DRG allotment for Pancreatitis. Hospitals usually split the DRG when there is a transfer. So far there has been no response from the Swedish MD’s. Swedish Transfer Center 206-386-6000.

November 26: We are told the transfer to Swedish was rejected and will not happen. Mark has run through the allotted time allowed for pancreatitis per Medicare. DRG has been spent. VMC will only receive ~$100K, a payment from Regence and $0 from Medicaid (Medicaid says all has been paid when Regence pays). The rest (~$200K) will have to be written off by VMC. Because there would be no financial gain/revenue for Swedish, the Swedish Financial Director rejected Mark’s transfer. INTERESTING: Please note that Swedish has taken their board members off their website.

November 30: I see Lynne (VMC Social Worker) as I am walking downstairs to get coffee. I confirm with Lynne why the transfer was denied. Lynne verifies that the Medicare DRG ran out. Lynne also says that a hospital can add DRG codes onto an existing DRG (as a patient’s condition changes, just as it did with Mark) to get more money out of Medicare. Why on earth then was Mark’s transfer rejected?

April 8: Letter from Swedish Hospital: there are no records indicating Swedish was contacted regarding transferring Mark (letter linked).

Swedish 2nd opinion request – for massive GI issues

January 11: After our group meeting with Dr. Suzanne Krell and Dr. Christopher DiRe we request a 2nd opinion and tell them this would be a third party unbiased opinion and we give him Dr. Richard Driscoll’s business card from Swedish. Bob Chapman, Rn, says he will handle this - we want to take care of this on our own and begin drafting our plan for the conversation.

January 12: Obviously Dr. Suzanne Krell’s presentation to Dr. Richard Driscoll of Swedish is about Pancreatitis not the horrific GI issues Mark is facing (belching massively, foaming at the mouth, massive leakage oozing/bubbling out of G-tube incision, I can hear the gurgling sound from the G-tube incision, the rectal tube fails again and feces on bed is gurgling (like a geyser) from all the gas; the rectal tube bag is full of gas). We are later told Dr. Suzanne Krell presented this to Dr. Richard Driscoll as Pancreatitis with uncontrollable Pseudomonas (in his lungs we assumed – we were not told that on December 14 Pseudomonas was growing in Mark’s feces. Of course, Dr. Richard Driscoll had no “advice or consult” to add. I have discussed this matter further with Dr. Richard Driscoll on my March 11 appointment with him.

January 12: Dr. Suzanne Krell comes by later and says Mark will die of sepsis, not GI issues. She is only partially correct.

UW 2nd opinion request – liver biopsy

January 4: I request a 2nd opinion from the UW for Mark's liver biopsy (I discuss with Dr. Mark Justus, radiologist, and Dr. Duane Carlson – they say they will respect my wishes).

January 8: The VMC liver biopsy is back but not my 2nd opinion requested of the UW. I ask about it and am told it could take a little longer.

January 9: I’m waiting for the UW 2nd opinion, Dr. Amy Morris doesn’t know where it is.

January 10: I’m waiting for the UW 2nd opinion, Dr. Suzanne Krell doesn’t know where it is.

January 12: Dr. Suzanne Krell comes by later. I ask about the liver biopsy - UW 2nd opinion and she hasn’t seen it come back.

January 13: I’m still waiting for the UW 2nd opinion, Dr. Wynne Chen doesn’t know where it is.

January 14: I’m still waiting for the UW 2nd opinion, Dr. Wynne Chen doesn’t know where it is; this may have been overlooked.

January 15: I’m still waiting for the UW 2nd opinion, Dr. Lindy Klaff doesn’t know where it is.

January 16: I’m still waiting for the UW 2nd opinion, Dr. Lindy Klaff doesn’t know where it is. I never receive this copy.

January 16: Mark dies

March 11: I finally receive the lab report and note VMC did not send it over to the UW until January 11