Kaiser Permanente Medical Malpractice in the Washington D.C. Area
Like most health care providers of its size, Kaiser Permanente has both high-quality doctors, as well as some not-so-good doctors. Many believe, however, that Kaiser is a non-profit in name only, cutting corners where it matters—on patient care. Whether this is completely true or not, the fact remains that Kaiser doctors and nurses commit tragic acts of negligence and malpractice, just like non-Kaiser doctors. The attorneys at Patrick Malone & Associates have extensive experience representing Kaiser patients, as well as other patients, in lawsuits for compensation for medical malpractice.
Kaiser is a little different from other health care providers. It is an HMO – health maintenance organization – and it has a closed system that makes it hard for Kaiser members to receive medical care from anyone except Kaiser’s own staff doctors.
Cases of Kaiser Permanente Medical Malpractice in Maryland and Washington D.C.
Recently reported cases of medical malpractice against Kaiser in the mid-Atlantic area include these.
In Maryland, the husband of a woman who was left with brain damage, after a financially-motivated hospital transfer resulted in cardiac arrest in an ambulance, sued Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. The lawsuit claims Maaza O’Brien, 55 was a healthy woman until she contracted pneumonia in 2013. Despite the fact her breath sounds were diminished, O’Brien was given Dilaudid at a Kaiser facility, then transferred about 50 miles via an ambulance with minimal respiratory monitoring. When O’Brien arrived at the new facility she was unresponsive, suffering hypoxic injury to the brain with resulting major deficits in motor, cognitive and executive functions, memory, speech and attention. She now requires constant care and supervision; the lawsuit claims the transfer was made for financial reasons, without the patient’s consent.
At a Kaiser facility in Washington, D.C., a simple blood test turned bad when a Kaiser employee stuck a needle into Tania Hood’s nerve, rather than the vein. Hood claims she felt pain in her right index finger and arm, but that when she told the employee about the pain, she was ignored. Hood’s symptoms continued to worsen, eventually impairing the use of her right arm, and causing her considerable pain. Hood and her husband sued Kaiser for medical malpractice and negligence.
In Rockville, Maryland, a Kaiser patient died of a heart attack after requesting cardiovascular tests for over two months, and being refused. Wayne McGlone, 53, complained of chest pain and shortness of breath in 2011. Appropriate tests such as a CT angiogram were not administered. McGlone asked for authorization to seek a second opinion in 2012, however Kaiser denied that request, despite the fact McGlone’s brother died suddenly of heart disease and McGlone had other family members who suffered from cardiovascular disease. McGlone’s widow claimed that, absent the negligence of Kaiser employees, her husband would have lived a normal and fulfilling life.
Kaiser Permanente in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia
Two separate healthcare organizations merged in the 1950’s to form what is known today as Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser is based out of Oakland, California. Kaiser has medical centers located throughout Maryland, Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia as well as in other locations across the nation. The centers in the Washington D.C. area include:
• Annapolis Medical Center
• Capitol Hill Medical Center
• Fredericksburg Medical Center
• Falls Church Medical Center
• Prince George’s Medical Center
• South Baltimore County Medical Center
• Woodbridge Medical Center
There are twenty-two additional facilities in this area. Most Kaiser HMO members are unaware of the fact that Kaiser runs a closed HMO system, with its own staff doctors in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Kaiser “bundles” healthcare through the integration of cost, organization and delivery of health care services.
Are You a Victim of Kaiser Permanente Medical Malpractice?
If you are the victim of Kaiser Permanente medical malpractice, our law firm understands how complex a Kaiser Permanente medical malpractice claim can be, and we can ensure you are legally protected throughout the entire process. Our firm handles many different types of medical malpractice, including delayed diagnoses, misdiagnoses of cancer and other treatable diseases, birth injuries and brain damage.
Kaiser bureaucracy can cause delays or denials of referrals to outside doctors as well as miscommunication among Kaiser employees. Kaiser members who have been injured by the carelessness of Kaiser doctors and other staff need representation from an experienced medical malpractice attorney to effectively represent their interests. Our firm’s medical malpractice attorneys are ready to help any Kaiser patients with complaints about injuries or death caused by negligence of Kaiser staff.