Mistreatment At Hospital

[hlavine]

STATE: TEXAS

I know this isn't malpractice, but I didn't know where to post this...I had a baby this past weekend and feel like I was terribly mistreated at the hospital by the staff.

24 hours after Katlin was born we requested to be discharged. We were told by a nurse that we could sign papers that basically said we were leaving without doctors consent (as hospital policy said we had to be there 36 hours) and that they couldn’t hold us unless there was a medical reason (certain illnesses and such) to not let us leave.

When asked to leave they told us they would have the attending doctor look at our daughter and make the decision. When Katlin came back in the room she had a bowel movement and I went to change her diaper. She had a plastic bag in her diaper to catch her stool and I freaked out because they hadn’t told me about it and I had no clue what was going on. My husband went to get a nurse and she came in and told me that she was hoping I wouldn’t find that until the social worker they had called arrived. At this point I was clueless and confused. A social worker? For what? The nurse told me that they suspected I was a drug user and then said, “You’ve been on floor 5 North in our PIP unit.” I have no idea what is on floor 5 or what a PIP Unit is. I let the nurse know that I had never been in that hospital before that time (the birth of my baby) and had no idea what she was talking about. The social worker came in about this time and told me the same thing that the nurse did. Turns out I have a name “similar” to someone who has a history with this hospital and this social worker in particular. When they finally figured out that I was not the same person I asked if we were free to go then. Was told no, that if we left and took the baby they would call CPS for ‘medical neglect’ and the baby would be taken from us. So I sucked it up and stayed the night. The next morning while waiting to be discharged a Drug and Alcohol counselor came into the room and took me away for a ‘chat’ This chat was an evaluation. So even after admitting that they messed up they still dove into me as if I was a drug user.

Still after speaking with the D&A counselor, who said she believes it was a mix up and cleared me, they put it on my discharge papers that says that ‘maternal drug use suspected, cleared by S/W and D/C’ so now it’s on my medical records.

I plan on filing an official complaint with the hospital, but what good does all that do? Someone reads it and writes an apolgy letter back? That just doesn't seem like enough for what they put me through.. I was wrongfully accused of being a drug addict and endangering my baby, they should have checked all of their records first or gone about questioning me very differently. I was threatened to have my baby taken away from me, first because they suspected I was who they thought I was and again when I wanted to leave after the baby was 24 hours old (btw, there was NO medical reason that they wanted her to stay, it was said to be “hospital policy” so how is that “medical neglect?” and was just generally treated like a piece of dirt, not a patient.

I want my medical records changed so that I don't have a this on there as I don't have, nor have I ever had a drug problem. I need some suggestions on how to handle this please, I don't want to just let it go.

[lealea1005]

First let me congratulate you on the birth of your little girl!

I can address your medical records. You are able to write a clear, concise letter stating you dispute the notation regarding your alleged drug use and the fact that they admitted to mistaking you for another patient with a similar name. You then make the formal request to have your letter added to your medical record. Send it certified RRR and copy the hospital CEO.

Understand that your medical record, as it stands, cannot be altered, so the addendum to your chart is your best bet.

Go ahead and file the complaint with the hospital CEO. Your situation may be incorporated in future staff training.

Hope this information is helpful. Stay tuned for others to add their advice.

[gigirle]

Congrads on the new baby!
How awful of an experience for you and your husband!
For starters, if the hospital is affiliated with a "chain" then start at the main hospital and with the head of Patient Relations.

I hate to admit it but I will. There are a thousands of people out there like the one that you were mistaken for. And I mean thousands. They jump from hospital to hospital seeking drugs and when they don't get what they want, they keep going until they do. Most of the time they come into the ER and get whatever Dr that is taking patients (Primary care physician). Unbenounced to them, the patient is seeking a "fix" and will say anything to get it. Abdominal pain is the most common complaint and until every test under the sun is done and done again. All the while the meds to get their fix are given to them around the clock. They just want more. These people are known as "frequent flyers" with the pun intended. Some facilities "flag" their files as "confidential" and this is how these people are identfied to the staff.

The facilities that I'm affiliated with do this upon registration or when you arrive at the hospital. My guess here from what you've posted is that you were registered under this other person's medical record. Every person has their own record # and I'd be willing to be here that you were placed in her file. This of course is just an explaination of what could have happened. Unfortunately, the person who most likely who was responsible for this mistake is a minimum wage earner and doesn't get it nor do they care much so they would not carry a license.

My question here is regarding your own attending physician. Where was she/he? NO baby is allowed to leave a hospital until 48 hrs are up. Mom may be free to go but baby needs to stay. Tons of things need to be monitored within this time. They were just covering their behinds and state laws. Also, be aware for future reference, leaving a hospital AMA allows your insurance company to deny any claims made during your stay. Was the physican that delivered your baby the same physican that you followed during your pregnancy? He has to write orders for the staff to follow and this is what you need to find out. Did he order this to be done?
I would also advise you to go to medical records and get a copy of your file PRIOR to making any complaints. Things have a way of "disappearing" Make sure that when you go there that you ask for a complete chart with Dr's progress notes, nurses and orders. This way you can see who wrote what.
Please keep us posted. I wish you all the best.

[Mr. Knowitall]

When Katlin came back in the room she had a bowel movement and I went to change her diaper. She had a plastic bag in her diaper to catch her stool and I freaked out because they hadn’t told me about it and I had no clue what was going on.

As you probably now know, that's for meconium testing. It's a pretty good gauge of fetal drug exposure during the last four or so months of pregnancy.

btw, there was NO medical reason that they wanted her to stay, it was said to be “hospital policy” so how is that “medical neglect?” and was just generally treated like a piece of dirt, not a patient.

They were monitoring your baby for signs of withdrawal. Withdrawal from some opiates and benzodiazepines can cause seizures.

I want my medical records changed so that I don't have a this on there as I don't have, nor have I ever had a drug problem.

As was noted, you're more likely to get your record supplemented.

NO baby is allowed to leave a hospital until 48 hrs are up.

Forty-eight hours is consistent with good medical practice. There are states that require insurance companies to pay for at least 48 hours of inpatient care, because hospitals were kicking moms and babies out so quickly, but I'm not aware of one where the baby has to stay at least 48 hours.

[hlavine]

Congrads on the new baby!
My guess here from what you've posted is that you were registered under this other person's medical record. Every person has their own record # and I'd be willing to be here that you were placed in her file. This of course is just an explaination of what could have happened. Unfortunately, the person who most likely who was responsible for this mistake is a minimum wage earner and doesn't get it nor do they care much so they would not carry a license.

Actually, it was later explained to me how I was mistaken for this other person and that was what really upset me, this hospital is HUGE (hint:think of where JFK died), and apparently their idea of record checking is non-existent, atleast in this case. When we requested to be discharged they called down to the SW office because they said 95% of the patients that come through their doors have some type of drug problem and most of those that request to leave are doing so so they can get home and get a "fix" The SW knew the name given them, so she said, but records were never checked. Had they been they would have seen that our last names are similar, but not the same. One is spelt LaVine and one is spelt Lavene. We do not have the same birthdates, addresses, ss#, etc. A simple one minute check of the records would have alveated all of the stress. Even after they checked the records though and saw that it wasnt me they still played the whole fiasco out. Its my opinion that at that point they were trying to save face. It was all just so frustrating and stressful and not how I feel patients should be treated, more so when they are already warning you about postpartum depression.

My question here is regarding your own attending physician. Where was she/he? NO baby is allowed to leave a hospital until 48 hrs are up. Mom may be free to go but baby needs to stay. Tons of things need to be monitored within this time. They were just covering their behinds and state laws. Also, be aware for future reference, leaving a hospital AMA allows your insurance company to deny any claims made during your stay. Was the physican that delivered your baby the same physican that you followed during your pregnancy? He has to write orders for the staff to follow and this is what you need to find out. Did he order this to be done?
I would also advise you to go to medical records and get a copy of your file PRIOR to making any complaints. Things have a way of "disappearing" Make sure that when you go there that you ask for a complete chart with Dr's progress notes, nurses and orders. This way you can see who wrote what.
Please keep us posted. I wish you all the best.

The hospital is large and you hardly ever see a doctor, its mostly NP's you see. Same for the prenatal care. I saw the same NP the whole time and then had a midwife and the NP for delivery. The baby and I had seperate NP's and nurses for our stay. It was ordered by the attending physican for the baby by the babies overzealous NP. My NP practically held my hand through the whole ordeal and couldn't believe what was happening.

I do understand that there are people out there that are like what they accused me of being, but there has to be a better way to handle such problems. Making accusations and threating to take my baby from me without doing ANY research is just plain wrong. And like I said in my 1st post, even after they knew I wasnt the person they thought they didn't stop, it went on until the moment I was discharged.

I've been searching all over the internet and can't find anything about how to file a complaint at this hospital, I did however find a lot of complaints about the hospital. I can say this though: no wonder Kennedy died there, he probably would have lived if he had been brought somewhere else.

[lealea1005]

I've been searching all over the internet and can't find anything about how to file a complaint at this hospital, I did however find a lot of complaints about the hospital. I can say this though: no wonder Kennedy died there, he probably would have lived if he had been brought somewhere else.

As I stated in my earlier post, write and address the letter directly to the CEO/Hospital Admistrator. Send it Certified RRR.

FYI...Kennedy's injuries were catastrophic enough that he would have died anyway/anywhere.

[Vincent B]

I don't know anything about your situation except from your post, but I have never seen a hospital track and accuse a patient falsely based on a prior similar name. All I am saying is that make sure you have no chance of having a positive urine or blood drug screen on admission because by law the hospital/doctor can test and will test you without you knowing about it. Every patient admission will have an admission drug screen on the chart in OB departments and the mother will not even know about it. The doctor may not even tell you the positive result until the full evaluation with the baby is done. All I am saying is make sure in your own person that there is no way before you request records and make a scene or you will look very bad.

[hlavine]

I don't know anything about your situation except from your post, but I have never seen a hospital track and accuse a patient falsely based on a prior similar name. All I am saying is that make sure you have no chance of having a positive urine or blood drug screen on admission because by law the hospital/doctor can test and will test you without you knowing about it. Every patient admission will have an admission drug screen on the chart in OB departments and the mother will not even know about it. The doctor may not even tell you the positive result until the full evaluation with the baby is done. All I am saying is make sure in your own person that there is no way before you request records and make a scene or you will look very bad.

Seeing as I don't do drugs I don't see an issue in that department

[Vincent B]

Sounds like a good case for a serious complaint to the CEO.