Law Firm Resources & News

I usually defend the front line workers in nursing homes as they are often poorly paid and overworked! I also realize that working as a nurse or nurse aid in a nursing home is a stressful and often thankless job. However, when a nurse aid abuses a resident it gets me angry! In Virginia two…

Many health care provider contracts now contain language that states if a dispute arises between the health care provider, and the patient, all parties agree to arbitration.Well, that doesn’t sound so bad, does it? In my opinion, it is bad. Here is a brief summary of the differences between arbitration / mediation and trial. Arbitration…

The number of citations for putting patients in “immediate jeopardy” increased 22% from 2000 through 2006, according to the records from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates nursing homes. Those citations are the most serious reprimand inspectors can issue and often follow cases in which patients were physically or sexually abused…

Beware! Federal health officials are investigating dozens of blood infections in at least two states linked to medical syringes contaminated with bacteria. No deaths have been reported but 40 people in Illinois and Texas have been sickened. The syringes at issue are filled with heparin, a blood thinner, and are used by cancer patients at…

More outrageous depressing reports from our sister state of Tennessee. How about nursing homes where drug pushers sell to nursing home workers and residents? How about nursing homes where residents lie in their own feces for over 3 hours despite pushing the call bell for help? Well…in Tennessee it happens! Drug dealers frequented The Cornelia…

You remember Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, don’t you? Access to the justice system is a right we hold dear in the United States. What if you have a dispute with a landlord, credit card company, hospital or nursing home? You go to your local court house to file a claim. Well millions…

Pacific Coast Manor, in Santa Cruz, has been issued the most severe citation allowed by California law and fined $100,000 after a state investigation concluded inadequate care led to the death of a female resident at the nursing home. The California Department of Public Health concluded the nursing home failed to adequately monitor the woman…

Seven Hills Health Care Center, a Richmond-owned nursing home, has lost eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare funding and may have to close, forcing residents to find new homes. The not-for-profit nursing home is operated by the Hospital Authority of Richmond, with its board of commissioners appointed by the mayor of Richmond. It doesn’t take long…

I acknowledge my biases…my law firm represents the victims of medical negligence. But I just couldn’t believe my eyes when I heard about the Sammelweis Society International! First, let me explain a little about the operation of hospitals in America. Before a doctor may admit and treat patients at the local hospital, he/she must make…

Lauren and I have a lot of fun writing articles for Legal Medicine. We know that not all of our readers agree with our view of the intersection of law and medicine…but that’s okay…we’ve got thick skin! We read blogs constantly and thought we would share several we think are worthy of your time: AmbulanceDriverFiles.blogspot.com…

I have written here before that many nursing homes “over-medicate” their residents with antipsychotic drugs. This practice of over medication results in a sedated resident population which doesn’t place staffing demands on the facility. The corporate owners of nursing homes know that if they can keep their staffing costs down they can realize greater financial…