Woman dies in ER lobby as 911 refuses to help
SuzannePjam
Posts: 411
This is just outrageous. I'm really looking forward to seeing Michael Moore's new movie. People are treated like garbage in low income areas because of health care coverage situations, poor facilities and a lack of compassion.
Woman dies in ER lobby as 911 refuses to help
Tapes show operators ignored pleas to send ambulance to L.A. hospital
LOS ANGELES - A woman who lay bleeding on the emergency room floor of a troubled inner-city hospital died after 911 dispatchers refused to contact paramedics or an ambulance to take her to another facility, newly released tapes of the emergency calls reveal.
Edith Isabel Rodriguez, 43, died of a perforated bowel on May 9 at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. Her death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
Relatives said Rodriguez was bleeding from the mouth and writhing in pain for 45 minutes while she was at a hospital waiting area. Experts have said she could have survived had she been treated early enough.
County and state authorities are now investigating Rodriguez’s death. Relatives reported she died as police were wheeling her out of the hospital after the officers they had asked to help Rodriguez arrested her instead on a parole violation. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Duane Allen said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing.
In the recordings of two 911 calls that day, first obtained by the Los Angeles Times under a California Public Records Act request, callers pleaded for help for Rodriguez but were referred to hospital staff instead.
“I’m in the emergency room. My wife is dying and the nurses don’t want to help her out,” Rodriguez’s boyfriend, Jose Prado, is heard saying in Spanish through an interpreter on the tapes.
“What’s wrong with her?” a female dispatcher asked.
“She’s vomiting blood,” Prado said.
“OK, and why aren’t they helping her?” the dispatcher asked.
‘They’re just watching her’
“They’re watching her there and they’re not doing anything. They’re just watching her,” Prado said.
The dispatcher told Prado to contact a doctor and then said paramedics wouldn’t pick her up because she was already in a hospital. She later told him to contact county police officers at a security desk.
A second 911 call was placed eight minutes later by a bystander who requested that an ambulance be sent to take Rodriguez to another hospital for care.
“She’s definitely sick and there’s a guy that’s ignoring her,” the woman told a male dispatcher.
During the call, the dispatcher argued with the woman over whether there really was an emergency.
“I cannot do anything for you for the quality of the hospital. ... It is not an emergency. It is not an emergency ma’am,” he said.
“You’re not here to see how they’re treating her,” the woman replied.
The dispatcher refused to call paramedics and told the woman that she should contact hospital supervisors “and let them know” if she is unhappy.
‘May God strike you too’
“May God strike you too for acting the way you just acted,” the woman said finally.
“No, negative ma’am, you’re the one,” he said.
The incident was the latest high-profile lapse at King-Harbor, formerly known as King/Drew. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is investigating claims of recent patient care breakdowns, including Rodriguez’s case.
Federal inspectors last week said emergency room patients were in “immediate jeopardy” of harm or death, and King-Harbor was given 23 days to shape up or risk losing federal funding.
‘Fundamentally a failure of caring’
Dr. Bruce Chernof, director of the county Department of Health Services, which oversees the facility, has called Rodriguez’s death “inexcusable” and said it was “important to understand that this was fundamentally a failure of caring.” He has said conditions are improving, though.
A call Wednesday seeking comment about the 911 tapes from the department’s communications office, which handles information about the hospital, was not immediately returned.
Dr. Roger Peeks, the chief medical officer at the hospital, was placed on “ordered absence” Monday, the Times reported. Health officials declined to elaborate, saying it was a personnel matter. Dr. Robert Splawn, chief medical officer for the health department, was named interim chief medical officer, the newspaper said.
Woman dies in ER lobby as 911 refuses to help
Tapes show operators ignored pleas to send ambulance to L.A. hospital
LOS ANGELES - A woman who lay bleeding on the emergency room floor of a troubled inner-city hospital died after 911 dispatchers refused to contact paramedics or an ambulance to take her to another facility, newly released tapes of the emergency calls reveal.
Edith Isabel Rodriguez, 43, died of a perforated bowel on May 9 at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. Her death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
Relatives said Rodriguez was bleeding from the mouth and writhing in pain for 45 minutes while she was at a hospital waiting area. Experts have said she could have survived had she been treated early enough.
County and state authorities are now investigating Rodriguez’s death. Relatives reported she died as police were wheeling her out of the hospital after the officers they had asked to help Rodriguez arrested her instead on a parole violation. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Duane Allen said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing.
In the recordings of two 911 calls that day, first obtained by the Los Angeles Times under a California Public Records Act request, callers pleaded for help for Rodriguez but were referred to hospital staff instead.
“I’m in the emergency room. My wife is dying and the nurses don’t want to help her out,” Rodriguez’s boyfriend, Jose Prado, is heard saying in Spanish through an interpreter on the tapes.
“What’s wrong with her?” a female dispatcher asked.
“She’s vomiting blood,” Prado said.
“OK, and why aren’t they helping her?” the dispatcher asked.
‘They’re just watching her’
“They’re watching her there and they’re not doing anything. They’re just watching her,” Prado said.
The dispatcher told Prado to contact a doctor and then said paramedics wouldn’t pick her up because she was already in a hospital. She later told him to contact county police officers at a security desk.
A second 911 call was placed eight minutes later by a bystander who requested that an ambulance be sent to take Rodriguez to another hospital for care.
“She’s definitely sick and there’s a guy that’s ignoring her,” the woman told a male dispatcher.
During the call, the dispatcher argued with the woman over whether there really was an emergency.
“I cannot do anything for you for the quality of the hospital. ... It is not an emergency. It is not an emergency ma’am,” he said.
“You’re not here to see how they’re treating her,” the woman replied.
The dispatcher refused to call paramedics and told the woman that she should contact hospital supervisors “and let them know” if she is unhappy.
‘May God strike you too’
“May God strike you too for acting the way you just acted,” the woman said finally.
“No, negative ma’am, you’re the one,” he said.
The incident was the latest high-profile lapse at King-Harbor, formerly known as King/Drew. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is investigating claims of recent patient care breakdowns, including Rodriguez’s case.
Federal inspectors last week said emergency room patients were in “immediate jeopardy” of harm or death, and King-Harbor was given 23 days to shape up or risk losing federal funding.
‘Fundamentally a failure of caring’
Dr. Bruce Chernof, director of the county Department of Health Services, which oversees the facility, has called Rodriguez’s death “inexcusable” and said it was “important to understand that this was fundamentally a failure of caring.” He has said conditions are improving, though.
A call Wednesday seeking comment about the 911 tapes from the department’s communications office, which handles information about the hospital, was not immediately returned.
Dr. Roger Peeks, the chief medical officer at the hospital, was placed on “ordered absence” Monday, the Times reported. Health officials declined to elaborate, saying it was a personnel matter. Dr. Robert Splawn, chief medical officer for the health department, was named interim chief medical officer, the newspaper said.
"Where there is sacrifice there is someone collecting the sacrificial offerings."-- Ayn Rand
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
Post edited by Unknown User on
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pathetic...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Wrong. This is an anomoly. Dying on a dirt floor of a 3rd world hospital is a daily occurrance.
Agreed. This is tragic, and hopefully staff will be held accountable.
Yeah well at least they'd put a cold facecloth on your head or hold your hand or something ...anything....like that... not just watch you die and do zip like a freakshow...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Hahaha...you mention Babel??? That's classic.
This is fucking disgusting. Not really sure it's 911 refusing to help...she was AT A HOSPITAL!!! It's all on the hosital in my opinion...from the little info we have here.
Oh shut it cincy! I know it's just a movie but still.....:p
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
vomiting blood and writhing in pain is definitely not good and casual...
The guy made the wrong decision. I would have grabbed someone (nurse/doctor) by the hair and dragged them if necessary.
Well the husband is about to win a huge lawsuit I suppose...
who knows maybe he did something to her and is looking to strike it rich...it is America afterall...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
yeah....
what's impressive is that you quote ayn rand in your sig
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_06-29/GOV
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/14/AR2006061402166.html
but the illusion of knowledge.
~Daniel Boorstin
Only a life lived for others is worth living.
~Albert Einstein
It is indeed a crisis... I am looking forward to see how the new Massachusetts law changes things. From what I remember, July 1st is the day that everyone by law will have to have health insurance. Hopefully this takes a burden off of our ER's, and helps the overall health of the residents (with preventative care).
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Exactly... everyone is blaming 911 but they are helpless in this situation. This is totally the hospital's fault and they should be held totally responsible.
Admin
Social awareness does not equal political activism!
5/23/2011- An utter embarrassment... ticketing failures too many to list.
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
I agree... the only thing that I wonder, is if the 911 operator should have maybe put a call into the hospital or told a supervisor to maybe check on the situation... I guess this depends too if the different operators knew of the other calls. I can't imagine the weird calls they get, and kind of blowing off a call from a person already at a hospital wouldn't seem that big of a deal at the time.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Yes, I'll be interested in seeing if this will give the ERs some relief.
Ha ha, while I'm on my health care soap box I'll mention another concern. To me, it appears to be sheer folly to assume that an increasingly for profit system of health care delivery is in our collective best interests. A lot of docs are finding the business increasingly distasteful and opting to bail altogether. I know a few docs that no longer do inpatient care on account of not wanting to set aside an hour or more a day to argue with some HMO doc sitting 1500 miles away as to why Mrs Jones needs to be in the hospital another day. If the docs chose to ignore the HMO, they eat the bill. But here's the other side of the dilemma: if they choose to follow their 'mandate', only the doc and the hospital are liable in the event of a bad outcome. Does this make sense to anyone other than the people running or profiting from the HMO?
but the illusion of knowledge.
~Daniel Boorstin
Only a life lived for others is worth living.
~Albert Einstein
i would certainly hope so, but not so sure. The man refers to the woman as his wife, but the text of the article refers to him as a "boyfriend". i'm not a lawyer so i don't know the legal reprecussions of this.
SOMEONE should get paid. Thats for sure.
If he's her boyfriend, then her FAMILY should get paid... not him.
Admin
Social awareness does not equal political activism!
5/23/2011- An utter embarrassment... ticketing failures too many to list.
flipping through the channels last night, one of the shows had the victim's two sisters on talking about it, so she does have some immediate family that will hopefully sue the shit out of that hospital that has had many problems in the past.
edit: It's just sad that we are talking about someone getting a big payday out of this when you consider that some person lost their life because of careless workers.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
How much? - how many millions? - and you wonder why health care is so expensive in this country......
SHOW COUNT: (164) 1990's=3, 2000's=53, 2010/20's=108, US=118, CAN=15, Europe=20 ,New Zealand=4, Australia=5
Mexico=1, Colombia=1
Although I think the individual mentioned in this thread probably has a case, you are not too far off. There are many problems with US health care and this is one of them.
It would be easy to blame lawyers. And fun. So let's! The cost of the malpractice insurance and law suits is only a nickel on the health care buck. But it has led to a defensive style/CYA style of practice that eats bucks like nobody's business. Take your average panic attack. 32yo female in good health presents to an ER complaining of tachycardia, shortness of breath and weird tingling sensations in her hands. No prior cardiac history. Rather than an EKG and a minor tranquilizer, good chance she will end up in a semi-intensive cardiac unit under telemetry. No one seriously believes this is a life threatening condition, EKG is normal and 30 minutes after getting some Valium-like drug, looks fine, feels fine, and is ready to roll. In the mind of the average US physician, there is every reason to believe the case is closed, but then the nagging doubt problem rears it's ugly head. There's a 1/100000 chance that this might be a zebra, and not a horse. Safe thing to do, observe overnight, get a panel of cardiac enzymes, whatever. So this intervention which might have cost a couple hundred now is 2K or more. The above is a real life example.
This is the so called standard of care issue, if you offer less than what other covering docs in the community would do as prudent and reasonable practitioners, you have nothing to gain except the satisfaction of having saved Mrs Jones 1800 bucks, and everything to lose even if its 1/100000. To practice sanely is not for the faint of heart.
but the illusion of knowledge.
~Daniel Boorstin
Only a life lived for others is worth living.
~Albert Einstein
Right and the costs are so high the premiums have to be high as the Health Insurance companies are not in the business of losing money........
SHOW COUNT: (164) 1990's=3, 2000's=53, 2010/20's=108, US=118, CAN=15, Europe=20 ,New Zealand=4, Australia=5
Mexico=1, Colombia=1
Easy, Tiger. i agree that malpractice lawsuits have gotten waaay out of hand at least helping to push up the cost of healthcare. A lawsuit in this case, however, is hardly flippant. They watched a woman die on their fucking floor and did nothing to help her! You're absolutely right. There is no monetary price to be placed on human life, but if it were my loved one...
Furthermore, regarding this instance, and i will probably get flamed for this, i wonder how helpful they would have been if it were an english speaking white woman bleeding to death on the hospital floor. This whole immigration business has gotten to the point where spanish speaking people are so hated they are allowed to die, unhelped, IN A HOSPITAL, while doctors and nurses stand around and watch!
You might be on to something here, cornnifer. Most health care workers, esp those that work in the ER have to 'separate' themselves from situations, ie, not get personally involved. This is important so you have a clear, objective head and you are able to perform in a crisis. Unfortunately, this can also 'de-humanize' patients. A good health care provider finds balance with this. I think the most important thing for a health care worker to do is imagine that they or a loved one is that patient. It is true that our ERs are inundated with uninsured folks and a good portion of them are spanish speaking. I have no doubt that the sentiment you mentioned above applies to a lot of health care workers. But I will also add, a lot of health care workers donate their time to 'free' clinics for the uninsured.
but the illusion of knowledge.
~Daniel Boorstin
Only a life lived for others is worth living.
~Albert Einstein
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
i don't like to, but i can't help thinking this tragedy goes beyond lack of insurance. i hear it day in and day out in my conversations with people, even those i thought i would never hear it from. "Those damned Mexicans... don't even speak our language... want to come into MY country... blah, blah, blah..."
Understand, i am not making blanket indictments of healthcare workers as i have much respect for the field in general. In this particular instance, i just can't help wondering, had she been english speaking and white, insurance or not...
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
It's not like that is such an huge leap when it comes to coming up with theories on why woman died on the floor of a hospital. You find it unrealistic to believe that this woman could have been killed by a case of racism or unprejudiced?
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you