UPDATE, DEC. 21: After initially making an 11:30 a.m. appointment to speak with the Journal on Wednesday, St. Joseph Hospital canceled. Spokeswoman Leslie Broomall said the hospital had decided it wanted written questions instead. We politely declined. Broomall later did email an unsigned media statement saying that St. Joseph Hospital takes the error “very seriously” and had reported it to the state immediately. (The state requires such reporting.)
A surgeon left a blue vinyl device more than 10 inches long inside a patient during hernia surgery over the summer at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The blunder increased the odds of the patient developing other medical problems or even dying, and it forced doctors to do a second surgery, according to a state deficiency finding released to the North Coast Journal late Tuesday afternoon.
The episode “caused or was likely to cause serious injury or death,” and it violated state rules that require hospitals to follow procedures to keep track of all items placed in a patient’s body during surgery, the state report said.
The hospital had no immediate comment, but Laurie Watson-Stone, its vice president for ancillary and support services, said she and other St. Joe’s officials would try to respond in more depth on Wednesday.
The state deficiency report blanks out details including the surgeon’s name, the patient’s name and her current condition. It said the problem was discovered two months later, after the patient kept complaining of ongoing pain and her surgeon ordered a CT scan.
The woman had undergone surgery to repair an abdominal hernia. During the procedure, her surgeon used a visceral retainer, sometimes called a “FISH,” to hold the bowels out of the way, the state said. The retainer is a flat, blue vinyl device, shaped a little like a flounder, 10 inches long and as much as 6.5 inches wide at its widest spot, the state report said.
While most dates in the report are blanked out, one reference to June 8 surgical records suggests the first operation might have occurred that day. The second operation or the CT scan might have occurred on July 29, which is when St. Joe’s reported to state regulators that a foreign object had been left inside a patient’s body.
The state investigation found that because the “fish” wasn’t always used in hernia surgeries, it was sometimes brought into the operating room late and was not routinely included in a count of instruments made before and after surgery.
This article appears in Leaving.
Another error from St. Joe’s. Very recently I heard the story of woman who died because a required test to see if her body would tolerate the drug therapy she was to undergo was not taken. These stories are hushed up and made to go away when they are important to the community.
Indeed, it is outrageous that nothing seems to change at St. Joseph’s. They almost killed me six years ago. I arrived in the emergency room in excruciating pain and very sick. They came to what for them was the obvious conclusion, with no evidence to back it up–that I must’ve been a lying drug seeker. They basically threw me out of the ER without doing any scan or test. Later that night I had to be rushed to Mad River, where they did do a scan and tests, and I was admitted for emergency surgery for a hemorrhaging double ovarian torsion. The surgeon at MRCH told me I would’ve been dead soon without surgery. The pain and sickness were indescribable. I later discovered that the St Joe’s ER doctor who “treated” me was later promoted to head of the department. I’ve since heard similar stories. Something is very wrong there.
The saved my life and my experience throughout the ordeal was one I am thankful for every day. Better than I would have imagined.
Doesn’t matter what hospital, where, how, when, or why: Someone is either going to rave or hate their experience. Until we all go to school for 8 years to become doctors, let’s not waste our time bitching about them.
I know someone who works at St Joes who left one of the best hospitals in this country to come work here (humboldt allure perhaps?), and the stories I hear about St Joes are appalling. I won’t disclose the stories, but I’ll tell ya…I won’t be a patient there ever.
My husband who has been a physician at St. Joes has been complaint about the administration there and the nursing staff since he began practicing in Humboldt nearly 20 years ago. He has told me that it’s known by everyone that administrative decisions are based on a who sleeps with whom basis. He has refused to participate in foundation or social events for this reason. He had to have the nurse who cared for him after surgery for a broken wrist fired because, as he said, “she almost killed me.” Clearly something needs to be done to rectify these issues.
They aren’t even taking care of their own nurses. What about all the mold toxicity in the hospital? There are so many poor sick nurses peeing out mycotoxins at that hospital. They should burn the cross on that hospital. No, “godly” hospital would allow for such conditions. On top if that, the ones that quit because they were poisoned can’t even get a job reference because they have been put on saint joes notorious “blacklist”. Health care at its worst if you ask me.
Gee, just two days ago I was forced to visit St. Joe’s Emergency Room after waking during the night with excruciating chest pains. They got me right in with multiple attendants efficiently giving all the tests necessary to determine my problem. I spent the next 24 hours in the hospital’s Progressive Ward and received nothing but friendly, professional help. I was very pleased.
That being said I also understand that my experience doesn’t excuse them dropping the ball so badly with this hernia patient. There can be NO lapses in their performance and I’m dismayed that their are. Lives are at stake.
I have to say that St Joe’s has saved three lives in our family and we are fortunate to have an option in this community besides Mad River. They are not perfect but who is? Some of these posts appear to be from disgruntled former employees mostly and does not reflect the majority of positive experiences.
There is more mold OUTSIDE the hospital than INSIDE- so get your “facts” straight Jane. St. Joes got a clean bill of health. Perhaps these nurses need to move to a dryer climate if they’re so sensitive to fresh air. As for a reference, hospital policy only allows HR to verify length of employment and whether the person is eligible for rehire for any previous employee. No one is blacklisted.
MY HUSBAND HAD SEVERAL ISSUES OF POOR SKILLED DECISIONS AT ST JOSEPH. A SURGEON THAT IN MY OPPINION DOES WAY TOO MANY SURGERIES ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AND MAKES CHOICES TO PERFORM SURGERY THAT WASNT TALKED OVER WITH PATIENTS BEFORE HAND. NURSES THAT MAKE MISTAKES THAT EITHER KILL OR ALMOST KILL. INFECTIONS HE ALSO GOT WHILE THERE. OF COURSE WHEN YOU TRY TO GET LEGAL HELP NO ATTORNEY WANTS TO LISTEN. THEY LIVE HERE AND SOMETIMES ARE FRIENDS WITH THE DOCS. SHAPE UP ST JO AND REQUIRE MORE FROM DR S, NURSES ,STAFF. WAKE UP YOU HAVE PEOPLES LIFES IN YOUR HANDS AND YOUR DECISIONS EFFECT ALOT OF LIVES. GOING IN FOR MINOR PROCEDURE AND ENDING UP WITH AN AORTA BI FEMORAL SURGERY AND 6 DAYS LATER A COLOSTMY DUE TO WHAT THEY SAID WAS A BLOOD CLOT THAT CAUSED PART OF COLON TO DIE THEN RUPSURE, WE HEARD FROM A NURSE OR 2 THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENTAL CUT TO THE BOWEL DURING SURGERY AS THE SURGEON HAD THAT REPUTATION SO WHAT ARE WE TO BELIEVE. THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO HIM THE FIRST 4 WEEKS HE SPENT THERE IN JAN 08 THEN 3 WEEKS IN FEB MORE IN O9 FOR INFECTION. AGAIN WHAT DO WE THINK. MY GOD DO SOMETHING. WE ARE SCARED TO RETURN.WE CAN HARDLY GUESS WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED DURING SURGERY AS IS THERE ANYONE IN THE ROOM INPARTIAL AND WRITING NOTES
Sorry Nipper, I can see you feel strongly about something but I simply can’t read the “all-caps/all-the-
time” thing. It hurts my brain.
go to redding, Mercy is the place.
my wife would have been forever in a wheelchair from a bad call at St.Joes… I can’t imagine what our life would be like today if we hadn’t gone over the hill.
I can’t say whether St. Joe’s is better or worse than average. I can say I am thrilled that Ms. Peyton-Dahlberg has posted this blog item, and I hope similar stuff goes into print.
It is long since time that the area’s institutions were exposed to normal journalism, and it can only help them improve.
Shit happens, and everyone makes mistakes–including highly skilled doctors and even podunk newspaper editors. When that happens, and it will, I hope Dahlberg will handle it as responsibly as St. Joe’s has handled this.
“AGREEMENT STATE REPORT – PACKAGE CONTAINING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL LEFT UNATTENDED
The following was received from the State of California via email:
“During the holiday weekend, November 26, 2011, [a carrier] delivered a source containing 11.35 Ci of Ir-192 to Saint Joseph Hospital in Eureka, CA. There were no radiation safety personnel on site to receive the package and [the carrier] left the package with the receptionist, who is not authorized to receive radioactive material. The package was stored in the shipping and receiving area over the weekend. On Monday, November 28, 2011, the RSO became aware that the package had been sitting unsecured in the shipping and receiving area all weekend and notified the CA/RHB (California Radiation Health Branch).”
CA 5010 Number: 112811″
interesting reading…makes me pause and be thankful we have a choice, St. Joes, Mad River , Redding, Crescent City. If we had national health insurance we probably wouldn’t have a choice and that would be that.
St. Joe’s has gone downhill for the last 5 years. They have put money first, leaving the community and it’s people at risk. All the problems come from the top administrators. There are some great people who still work there….But they are leaving and as each one goes it’s a less safe to be admitted there.It is sad to see. I hope the Sisters of Orange can figure out how to become a place people can feel safe in. For now it’s a disaster.
How do you figure that, Doug?
Admittedly, St. Joe’s like any other institution has problems. Statistically thought, you have it better here than at most city hospitals through out most of the rest of the United States. After being in the area for ten years, I have seen many ingrateful, lazy people in Eureka, not working with lots of time to consider the latest conspiracy, and the NCJ loves to help it along. Way to go Eureka, this is how you tell the people who want to help our community that they aren’t welcome. That might be why you get what you do.
There are many people who do have a legitimate problem with the hospital who do not fall into the lazy catagory, some who are seriously injured by the poor actions of nurses whose responsibility it is to count items, or write those items on boards. Some people have problems with some physicians who make errors, But how many of the Doctors who operate at St. Joe’s are employees of the hospital? How many are contracted because St. Joe’s is not funded enough? How many projects have been bleeding while so many residents in Eureka won’t pay their bill? How many people want to talk about the fact that Medical and Medicare simply discount provided services to a miniscule amout so that doctors can’t make a living any more? If the North Coast Journal wanted to spend real time researching a real story, wouldn’t they investigate the real problems? And if so many people had real complaints, wouldn’t St. Joe’s simply have closed it doors?
I agree with Jane. St. Joes DOES blacklist former employees. They also DO cover up very serious issues…REALLY serious! I know because I used to work there and I know some pretty horrific things that have happened (one at the hands of someone named “travis”)…..probably part of the reason I am on their “blacklist” now.
The surgeon in this story is Dr. Michael Palmer.
Not only did Palmer leave the fish in this patient, a few months ago he started a patient on fire in the operating room at St Joseph because he did not wait long enough for the skin prep to dry before starting the surgery! Another stupid move.
Of course, the administration hid that catastrophe from the hospital staff.
My father will never go back and see either Palmer or Dr. David Ploss, a horrible cardiologist, after they both came close to killing my father. Palmer and Ploss are the top worst physicians in the county.
I had a non emergent cesarean (forced into it by st joes because my first was also a non emergent section) performed on me while feeling it despite my screams to stop. They kept telling me it was “all in my head” even though a video later surfaced with my heart rate at 150+ (208 at one point) while the dr was actively cutting me. But interesting enough there was NO blood pressure readout during my entire surgery. Interesting right?. I have been in the most horrendous lawsuit ever with them for two years. I have limited use of my jaw which was injured that day badly. I have lost several teeth and can’t eat most solid food anymore. I have endless proof that this happened but with “missing” records happening constantly on their end its been hard to end this. They threaten their employees into silence while killing them slowly with mold in their walls and vents. Te nurses are the most abused who are working double time and understaffed trying to give the correct medical care. Don’t kid yourselves people. It really is this bad, and people like me, who won’t be forced into silence are trying to change things. More “unimportant” as you said, stories like this should be shared. The heinously corrupt things I have seen while dealing with them is terrifying. They hide records, they misjudge, they damage irreparably. Does this sound okay to you?
I also went to st joes after a car wreak. They did nothing for me not even x rays. I later learn after much pain and not being able to walk that my pelvis was shattered in 17 pieces. They still did nothing
I plan on sueing them for everything. Im still in pain 3 years later.
Dr. Michael Palmer was the defendant in 50 lawsuits on file at the Humboldt County courthouse before he retired. He was the general surgeon referred by Open Door Clinic.
The local surgeons that refuse Obamacare EPO, Medi-cal and Medicaid have nearly clean records. Surgeons new to the area are more difficult to research.
Trust a referral????
It’s a life and death issue!
Go look up their records first, including dentists.