On August 1 I posted findings of the New Jersey Dept. of Health and Senior Services in its investigation of the Alternatives abortion mill in Atlantic City. The NJHD report is 104 pages, and so far I’ve spotlighted findings of 1/3 of the report. Today I’ll cover the next 1/3.
NJHD closed the mill June 22 for multiple violations. The mill remains closed for “fail[ing] to submit a plan on how it would fix the violations,” according to the AP.
The following infractions are lifted directly from the report; no spin. This information is both macabre and fascinating, some of it like reading a diary.
Having worked in a hospital, I find the medical negligence staggering, and it appears the entire staff, certainly the doctors, consumed drugs like candy. At Christ Hospital, where I worked, an anesthesiologist died within the last five years of a Fentanyl overdose – while on shift. He laid down between epidurals and never woke up.
But I digress. Here’s the next portion of the report….
A lack of Surgical and Anesthesia Services that included but was not limited to: Lack of credentialiing of staff… Lack of accountability of medications…. Lack of history and physicals for surgical patients…. Lack of mechanical ventilator… Lack of a Consultant Pharmacist….
… To make a… solution of Brevital it is necessary to mix… with a… bag of Sterile Water…. [T]here was evidence of the administration of Brevital to patients on the Daily Record…. Bags of… Sterile Water were not available at the facility…. Staff #4 stated that he/she… thought that the Brevital was diluted in Lactated Ringer’s Solution, which was available in each operating room. The package insert for Brevital states “Incompatible diluents: Lactated Ringer’s Injection.”
The beginning and end counts of Fentanyl, Versed, and Brevital on 5/3/07 did not reconcile with the amount administered on 5/3/07. Upon interview… Staff #4 stated that Staff #1 had taken medications from the cabinet and removed them from the facility. There is no evidence of how much medication had been removed by Staff #1.
[A]n entry stating “Dr. (Staff #1) took inventory” was entered on 5/3/07. The beginning of day count… for Fentanyl, a Schedule II drug, was 52 and the end of the day count was 32…. The quantity recorded as administered… was… less than 3 vials…. Staff #4 stated that Staff #1 had taken some of the drugs from the narcotics box on 5/3/07 because he did not want to leave it for the new doctor.
[I]t was determined that the facility failed to ensure that only licensed nursing or medical personnel retained the keys to storage areas in which Controlled Dangerous Substances were stored…. Staff #2 and 4 stated that each had a key…. Neither is a licensed nurse.
[I]t was noted that one single dose vial of Fentanyl… is used for many patients, until the medication is finished.
[It]t was determined that the facility did not provide… social work services…. [T]he facility does not employ a social worker…. Employee #6 stated that she is the counselor for the facility but could not provide any documented evidence of training/competency to perform in the role and could not provide any written plan/program for the provision of counseling services.
[I]t was determined that the facility failed to ensure that a physician director, who is clinically responsible for surgical service, was board certified by the American Board of Medical Specialists.
[I]t was determined that the facility failed to ensure that a physician or registered nurse, who maintains certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, is present when surgery is being performed…. A review of the Daily Control Sheet dated 6/18/07 indicated that a total of 15 surgical procedures were performed without benefit of anyone certified in ACLS…. A review of the personnel record of Staff #5, a physician, revealed no evidence of ACLS certification…. [On] 6/8/07 and 6/15/07 when this physician performed procedures indicated that a total of 14 surgical procedures were performed by Staff #5 without benefit of anyone certified in ACLS.
[I]t was determined that the facility failed to ensure that a patient receiving conscious sedation was monitored by a qualified individual who is continuously present and who is separate from the individual performing the operation.
A review of the personnel record of Staff #10, who is employed as a certified registered nuse anesthetist in the facility, failed to include documentation that he/she could provide evidence of a valid registered nurse license in the state of New Jersey.
Based on a review of 6 of 10 medical records reviewed for Physician examinations…. there is no evidence that the patient[s] received a history and physical examination prior to surgery.
Based on review of 5 out of 10 medical records… the facility did not ensure that the complete medical record included the patient’s complaint or purpose of the visit… [no] evidence of a medical diagnosis… [no] evidence of patients’ assessments by an RN, anesthesiologist/crna, and a physician… [no] clinical notes… [no] informed consent was obtained for any procedure or treatment.
Based on review of 10 out of 10 medical records where surgical procedures were performed… the facility did not ensure… the patient has been informed of patients rights… and has been offered a copy.
Based on review of 10 out of 10 records where surgical procedures were performed… the facility did not ensure… a discharge plan.
Based on review of the ASC’s records and employee interviews… the facility did not develop… a system for identifying, reporting and evaluating the occurrence of all infections or diseases… identifying and reporting of HIV/AIDS… healthcare-associated infections… care of patients with communicable diseases… exclusion from work… for personnel with communicable diseases….
The ASC’s policies… specify that soiled instruments shall be placed in an enzymatic/bleach solution, but in actual practice an antiseptic hand soap/detergent solution is used instead….
The ASC’s policies… specify that suction machine tubing shall be washed and rinsed in “preparation for chemical sterilization” and “chemically sterilized in Cidex solution for 24 hours,” respectively, but in actual practice the tubing is cleaned only with antiseptic hand soap/bleach solution and neither chemically sterilized nor disinfected.
[E]mployee #6 stated… that no shelf life expiration date ws used for sterile supplies… and approximately 50 instrument packages inspected… had sterilization dates well over one year.
A policy and procedure for the reprocessing of the vaginal ultrasound wand was not provided when requested….
Ok, yuck, that’s enough to stomach today.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
It’s a miracle more people weren’t harmed by this! I can’t even imagine how terrible the fall out would be if an orthodontist was found to be “sterilizing” equitment in dish soap/
yucky!!!!!!
Ahh…please tell me that this bloody thing will finally work…
Hooray! After trying to make typekey work all day, I triumph!
*throws parade for self*
*joins in Erin’s parade after also mastering typekey earlier today*
It’s a miracle more people weren’t harmed by this! I can’t even imagine how terrible the fall out would be if an orthodontist was found to be “sterilizing” equitment in dish soap.
What if the orthodontist’s name was Madge heh heh heh.
http://forums.commercialsihate.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=133&PN=1&get=last
Danny, just posting this up here in case you miss the one that got bumped. I sent you an email but your spam blocker is blocking it. Is there another email I can send to?
The last violation talks about an ultra sound in the Abortion mill. The pro-choicers are screaming bloody murder about the new laws being passed that an abortionist cannot refuse to show a woman the ultra sound image. They say it is an unnecessary medical procedure and that the laws are only met to intimidate women and that it is an intrusion on medical privacy…. If this is the case, why would an abortion mill have the machine?
This was posted by Valerie…she can’t get on to Jill’s site due to firewalls or something and she is posting through me…
Good point, Valerie!
Abortion clinics are nasty.