Health News
- Hospitals, Doctors, Chamber Join Nursing Homes' Lobbying For Panels To Make Initial Reviews Of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Under fresh pressure from a coalition of health care and business groups, state lawmakers are discussing the long-lobbied idea to submit medical-malpractice lawsuits to review panels that could give initial opinions about their merit. The Kentucky Hospital...
- Nursing Home Chain Says It Will Lease Its Kentucky Facilities Because Legislature Didn't Pass Bill To Filter Lawsuits
A major nursing-home chain says it will lease all of its Kentucky properties to a Texas company because a bill to insulate nursing homes from lawsuits did not pass the General Assembly this year, Extendicare Health Services owns Pembroke Nursing...
- Nursing Homes Want Panel To Review Lawsuits Against Them
"A long-term care industry group wants a new law in Kentucky that would create medical review panels to evaluable potential lawsuits against nursing homes, personal care homes and some facilities for the intellectually and developmentally disabled," reports...
- Nursing Home Ombudsman Program At Risk Because Of 'callous And Apparenly Clueless' Move By Feds, Advocate Writes
The Kentucky long-term care ombudsman program is at risk in Kentucky due to a change in federal policy. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services is "quietly telling some state aging leaders that by Jan. 1 they will no longer be allowed to use civil...
- 18 Percent Of Kentucky Nursing Homes Had 10 Or More Deficiencies In July-sept.; 42 Exceeded State Average Of Six
State inspectors found 20 of Kentucky's nursing homes, 18 percent of the total, had 10 or more deficiencies during the third quarter of 2010. Kentucky nursing homes have an average of six deficiencies, according to Medicare's nursing-home...
Health News
Jury tells nursing home: Pay $8 million to estate of man whose legs employees broke; homes seek legislative insulation from suits
A Louisville nursing home was ordered to pay $8 million in damages last week to the estate of a retired surgeon whose legs were broken while he was being transferred from a chair to his bed at Treyton Oak Towers. He died less than two months later.
The incident happened to Dr. David Griffin in September 2008. Griffin, who had suffered a stroke, was put back in bed "like it didn't happen," attorney Matt Minner said. Employees reportedly were told to change medical records and cover up the act. Because of his condition from the stroke, Griffin couldn't tell anyone "about the agony he was in," Minner told The Courier-Journal.
Treyton Oak Towers plans to appeal the ruling. Its attorney, Scott Whonsetler, told newspaper that "Griffin had severe osteoporosis and doctors failed to inform nursing home employees of the diagnosis," Andrew Wolfson and Jason Riley report . "We categorically deny that there was any coverup whatsoever" after the incident, Whonsetler said.
The verdict, returned after about two hours of deliberation, includes $2 million for pain and suffering, $1 million for violating the state nursing home statute and $5 million in punitive damages. (Read more)
The verdict comes after the introduction of House Bill 361, which would establish medical review panels. Under the proposal, panel members would consider whether civil litigation against a nursing home is warranted before it is sent to court. The purpose of the panel would be to prevent frivolous lawsuits, but "could deny nursing home residents access to the courts of law," reads a press release by Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, a nonprofit organization that advocates for nursing home residents. The bill was introduced Feb. 1 but has not been posted for consideration by the House Health and Welfare Committee.
- Hospitals, Doctors, Chamber Join Nursing Homes' Lobbying For Panels To Make Initial Reviews Of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Under fresh pressure from a coalition of health care and business groups, state lawmakers are discussing the long-lobbied idea to submit medical-malpractice lawsuits to review panels that could give initial opinions about their merit. The Kentucky Hospital...
- Nursing Home Chain Says It Will Lease Its Kentucky Facilities Because Legislature Didn't Pass Bill To Filter Lawsuits
A major nursing-home chain says it will lease all of its Kentucky properties to a Texas company because a bill to insulate nursing homes from lawsuits did not pass the General Assembly this year, Extendicare Health Services owns Pembroke Nursing...
- Nursing Homes Want Panel To Review Lawsuits Against Them
"A long-term care industry group wants a new law in Kentucky that would create medical review panels to evaluable potential lawsuits against nursing homes, personal care homes and some facilities for the intellectually and developmentally disabled," reports...
- Nursing Home Ombudsman Program At Risk Because Of 'callous And Apparenly Clueless' Move By Feds, Advocate Writes
The Kentucky long-term care ombudsman program is at risk in Kentucky due to a change in federal policy. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services is "quietly telling some state aging leaders that by Jan. 1 they will no longer be allowed to use civil...
- 18 Percent Of Kentucky Nursing Homes Had 10 Or More Deficiencies In July-sept.; 42 Exceeded State Average Of Six
State inspectors found 20 of Kentucky's nursing homes, 18 percent of the total, had 10 or more deficiencies during the third quarter of 2010. Kentucky nursing homes have an average of six deficiencies, according to Medicare's nursing-home...