Community Chat

[Suziepeach]

I truly feel Mr. Duncan should've been sent to a facility that knew how to treat ebola patients, as Emory.

[terrier3]

On 3/2/2015 sidsmom said:

Didn't she have the option to not do something, if she felt uncomfortable? If they fired her...THEN she would have the lawsuit. But I can't imagine what she's suing them for that's not covered by Workers Compensation. I don't think she has a leg to stand on....If anything, it'll be settled out of court to eliminate bad press..not to say the hospital was guilty, but settled to make it go away.

Companies have a duty to ensure worker's safety in the workplace. You don't have to refuse and get fired to be entitled to a safe place to work...look at all the workers KILLED by asbestos and /or radiation exposure.

This hospital failed miserably - both the patient that they initially misdiagnosed and their workers...where other hospitals succeeded. They deserve to be sued, IMO and let the courts sort out the blame.

[sidsmom]

Trying to think this out, how does Ebola differ from Hepatitis, HIV or even a career-ending injury from lifting a patient? Workers Comp would take care of the latter injuries. How is Ebola, as defined as a disease like the others, differ?

if I was working in an environment that would not be OSHA compliant, I would contact HR or authorities....or not work.

Comparing Texas Presby to other specifically Ebola hospitals is asking my GYN to perform heart surgery. Both heart surgeons & gynecologists are medical personnel, but heart surgery is not her speciality. It's so clear, I'm surprised so many people can't see why this lawsuit is not warranted.

[Tinkrbl44]

If the hospital is willing to accept an Ebola patient, then they must accept responsibility for protective gear and training of medical personnel .... or they are seriously negligent.

The hospital's malpractice insurer will pay the damages, and I hope they are awarded!

[RetRN]

Need more facts and information to comment.

[AuntG]

She survived a job she volunteered to do. I could see her asking for compensation to cover her time off work. Beyond that, she should be grateful to have been given such good care.

[hyacinth003]

It's sad to say, but not everyone gets a correct diagnosis when presenting to the ER.

I feel compassion for the patient, but he may not have lived even WITH the correct diagnosis. He was way sicker when he presented even the first time to the ER than either of the nurses who got it from him.

Since I did not have the information or notes of the staff that initially saw him, I am not going to throw them under the bus. It looks easier in hindsight. The hospital just paid the family off to get it out of the news. They may have successfully litigated it otherwise.

People tend to expect medical professionals to be PERFECT. It's just not possible. As they are human too.

The hospital did have a duty to protect the people they asked to take care of a patient with a fatal infectious disease.

Hyacinth

[hyacinth003]

On 3/3/2015 sidsmom said:

Trying to think this out, how does Ebola differ from Hepatitis, HIV or even a career-ending injury from lifting a patient? Workers Comp would take care of the latter injuries. How is Ebola, as defined as a disease like the others, differ?

if I was working in an environment that would not be OSHA compliant, I would contact HR or authorities....or not work.

Comparing Texas Presby to other specifically Ebola hospitals is asking my GYN to perform heart surgery. Both heart surgeons & gynecologists are medical personnel, but heart surgery is not her speciality. It's so clear, I'm surprised so many people can't see why this lawsuit is not warranted.

Because of the mode of transmission of Ebola. The protection was obviously NOT sufficient if you saw what they did in the other hospitals. You needed the "space suit." HIV and hepatitis are primarily blood borne dangers. They have come up with "universal precautions" to try to protect you. They have come up with special needles to TRY to prevent needlesticks, although it can still happen. Not recapping needles before disposal helps. Having needle disposal boxes in every room has been good.

Hospitals cannot refuse patients, so they are stuck. I guess the plan would be to only care for them at those more specialized to care for them. So they would be transferred in full hazmat mode.

Patients need to be taken care of no matter what. Medical personnel are not just free to refuse and go to "HR." You would have to take it up later the chain of command. YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE. People don't understand this isn't a factory or an office! Maybe you get could get some exemption ahead of time to not take care of certain patients (pregnant nurses maybe). But, you just can't refuse to take care of patients!

I guess they will have to decide if there is a difference between worker's comp or a lawsuit.

Hyacinth

[SugarNSpice]

On 3/2/2015 Kachina624 said: These people who file lawsuits for huge amounts of money and then sanctimoniously say they're doing it so "nobody else will have to go through what I did," just slay me. I've never heard of a single one giving her court awarded windfall to a charity.

Why should they give their awarded windfall to a charity?

[SugarNSpice]

On 3/2/2015 Lion said:

On 3/2/2015 goldenretriever said:

On 3/2/2015 lulu2 said:

From what I've seen and read, I support her.

Me, too.

I agree with her, too.

Another supporter here.