Columbus Legal Blog

Most common surgical errors in Ohio hospitals

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Friday, March 22, 2019.

When a doctor recommends that you have surgery, it can be quite stressful and worrisome. Depending on your circumstances, the procedure in question might be elective, such as those you might seek for cosmetic reasons, or your doctor might inform you that surgery is necessary to resolve an injury, health condition or, even, to save your life.

Entrusting your health to a surgeon and medical team means that you can reasonably expect all licensed care providers to act according to the highest level of accepted safety standards. If one or more care providers fail in their duties, you might suffer serious injury that causes partial or full disability for the rest of your life, or even places your life at risk.

Mount Carmel increases total number of employees on leave to 35

By Leeseberg & Valentine on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

The Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday that four dozen pharmacists and nurses were involved in the care and treatment of 35 patients in the Mount Carmel West ICU and have been reported to their respective state licensing boards. Of those 48 employees, 30 have been placed on paid leave and the other 18 have left the health system entirely. Mount Carmel also reports they have placed five managers on paid leave, bringing the total number to 35 employees.

Addressing emotional, physical and legal issues re cerebral palsy

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Thursday, March 7, 2019.

The day your child was born in an Ohio hospital was supposed to be one of the most exciting, joyful days of your life. You thought it was, at first, until something went wrong and your baby suffered a birth injury. The signs of cerebral palsy might not have been immediately apparent. However, it's not about when your child's symptoms surfaced as much as who is liable for the injury when medical negligence was the causal factor.

Your life changed forever as a parent of a child with cerebral palsy. Connecting with other parents who are in similar situations can provide tremendous emotional support as you learn how to care for your son or daughter so that he or she can live as healthy and joyful a life as possible. It's also a good idea to know where to seek legal support, especially if you have questions regarding medical malpractice laws.

Q&A on MRSA Infections

By Gerald S. Leeseberg of Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Surgical errors on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

Why can MRSA be considered a serious problem?

Causes and consequences of medical errors in Ohio

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Friday, February 22, 2019.

There are many good hospitals and other medical facilities in Ohio. Perhaps you and your family have been under the care of the same physician for years. Nowadays, however, it's not uncommon to see several different doctors every time you seek a medical examination, especially if you are receiving prenatal care in pregnancy. There's always a risk that you may suffer injury or illness when exposed to a medical environment.

However, as a patient, you can reasonably expect that any doctor, nurse, practitioner or other medical staff member who tends to your care will act according to the highest level of accepted safety standards. Sadly, thousands of people fall victim to negligence every year, when licensed medical professionals fail in their obligations to provide effective and safe support to their patients.

Mount Carmel Releases Investigation Timeline, Identifies Another Victim

By Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Firm News on Friday, February 22, 2019.

Mount Carmel recently released an "investigation timeline" purportedly detailing what they have learned about Dr. William Husel's role in prescribing excessive and potentially fatal doses of Fentanyl.

Did Dr. Husel Improperly Declare Patients Brain Dead?

By Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Firm News on Thursday, February 21, 2019.

Yesterday, Leeseberg & Valentine put out a press release advising local media that it appears Dr. Husel failed to follow guidelines for determining when a patient is "brain dead". Attorney Gerald Leeseberg stated, based on guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology for determining brain death, it appears that "virtually none ... were complied with, completed and/or documented by Dr. Husel before advising family members that their loved ones were 'brain dead.'"

What is in Mount Carmel's "Plan of Correction"?

By Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Medication Errors on Thursday, February 14, 2019.

We recently obtained a copy of Mount Carmel's "Plan of Correction," which details, among other things, the following information:

How Dr. Husel, the nurses, and pharmacists were able to access such inappropriate doses of pain medication for patients;
Mount Carmel's violations of federal regulations; and
Mount Carmel's policy changes and new training regimen

In summary Mount Carmel is acknowledging that, in most cases, the medication was obtained using some type of system override, roughly half of the time without pharmacy approval. Even when pharmacy approval was given, it was often after the fact and did not appear to challenge the use of the medication. Mount Carmel also acknowledges the "usual adult dose" of Fentanyl (25-100 mcg) as being far less than the amounts used by Dr. Husel in these cases. They also note the usual dose of Versed and Dilaudid are much lower, and those are the only drugs listed in the "palliative ventilator withdrawal" policy. In other words, Fentanyl was not intended to be used in the scenarios in which Dr. Husel used it, in these cases, even at appropriate amounts.

Labor and delivery is not supposed to lead to injury

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Thursday, February 7, 2019.

Pregnancy and childbirth can be often one of the most joyful and rewarding times in a woman's life. However, if a doctor, nurse or other staff member is negligent during labor or delivery, what is supposed to be an exciting time can quickly turn into a devastating experience.

Medical negligence often results in birth injuries. In addition to the trauma of witnessing your infant suffering, the most frustrating aspect of a birth injury situation may be that it was likely preventable was it not for substandard medical care. It's understandable you'd feel a strong desire to seek justice on your injured child's behalf.

Two More Lawsuits Filed Against Mount Carmel, Husel

By Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Recently Filed Cases on Friday, January 25, 2019.

The attorneys at Leeseberg & Valentine filed two more lawsuits against Mount Carmel, Dr. William Husel, a pharmacist, and two nurses earlier today. The cases were filed on behalf of the families of James Allen and Joanne Bellisari, both of whom were given 1,000 micrograms of Fentanyl.

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