Hospital Incompetence?

[Guest]

Im really pissed off right now.

my mother works in the enviromental services at the Fla. hospital.

In Feb. a patient that had been admited 2 times already for tuberculosis in previous months had been admitted to the hospital for some other reason other than TB.

The hospital placed this man in a regular room.

For those of you not familiar with this, anytime anyone with TB goes to the hospital they are placed in an isolation/airborne room where everyone coming into contact with them has to have masks and other gear to prevent contamination.

My mom was assigned to that room, she said that she stepped in (with no protective gear since it wasnt an isolation room), was beggining to pick up the garbage can when she saw the man in the bed and realized it was the same man she had seen a couple of times before that had TB. She left the room quickly. What happened to that man after that I dont know.

My mom told her supervisor about the man. Apparently that did nothing.

A MONTH later a letter is given to her. Letter says she has to go test for TB because of an 'incident'... namely that man being in a non-ISO room. Letter had a date of almost a week before the date she was given the letter. Apparently the supervisor didnt 'get to it' until a week after the letter was handed to her.

Her test came positive.

Now the hospital is saying they assume the costs of any treatment or medicine needed to treat the TB.

I dont need to tell you how frightened my mom is right now..and pissed off. How can a hospital admit a patient that had been admited in previous months for TB and put him in a non ISO room and then wait a whole *****g MONTH to inform its staff... and then the supervisor taking a WEEK to hand out the letters.

We dont know what to do at this point. My mom cant take many medicines since she's a cancer survivor..heck she cant even take hormones (and for a 50yr old menopausic woman its hell i hear). Now we're waiting for an x-ray of her chest to be done tomorrow and see what other 2nd opinions we can get from a doctor not involved with the Fla. Hospital.

[LostInSpace]

Sorry to hear about that Tac. I worry about the same thing myself working in a medical enviornment myself. Small office and you never know who it is or what they might carry with them coming in for an appointment. Do these patients care? Not one bit. Seems to me if they've got it they seem to want everyone to get it too. If I was that patient, I would have told them and demanded to be put in an isolation room. But that might just be me.

[Supreme Cmdr]

Sorry to hear that Tac, but have your mother find a personal injury attorney ASAP!! This is clear grounds for a lawsuit and essentially a slamp dunk case.

Where in FLA is she? I know a very good personal injury attorney down here.

[Guest]

We in Orlando chief.

I dont know what good a lawsuit would do (granted, I know zilch about the legal system in this country)... but I do know they will likely fire my mom (since it seems that if you sue your employer they get rid of you one way or another). And being a 50 yr old woman who'se english is barely conversational with no higher education...well, the loss of the job is bad .

Her x-rays will be done tomorrow, she got her appointment in today.

btw, what's 'slamp dunk' mean exactly?

[LostInSpace]

Plus they have that pesky lawsuit cap now. To prevent frivolous lawsuits but in turn has also prevented legit lawsuits. A lot of lawyers are turning down cases because of this.

[Supreme Cmdr]

Tac, if they fire her, she can sue them - again - for wrongful termination.

There's nothing frivolous about a lawsuit over this,

as long as the facts are as Tac stated.