Doctor Not Reported by Peers
Doctor Not Reported by Peers
A Philadelphia abortion clinic doctor named Dr. Kermit Gosnell who was never certified in obstetric and gynecology on for general practice is in jail without bail and charged with eight counts of murder, one patient and seven babies deaths. He has not entered a plea.
Many women who went to Dr. Kermit Gosnell abortion to end their pregnancies came away with life-threatening infections and punctured organs; some even had fetal parts inside them when they arrived at a nearby hospital needing emergency care.
Six patients of Dr. Gosnell went to doctors at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, who operates two hospitals within a mile of the doctor's clinic. Two of these patients died.
A grand-jury report is stating that the doctors at these two hospitals failed in the legal and ethical duties to report their peer's incompetence. The Philadelphia grand jurors wrote to recommend a slew of charges against Dr. Gosnell and his staff in January. Par of their report stated, "We are very troubled that almost all of the doctors who treated these women routinely failed to report a fellow physician who was o obviously endangering his patients."
In an apparent contradiction of the grand-jury report-the health system released a statement saying it did "provided reports to the authorities regarding patients of Dr. Gosnell who sought additional care at our hospitals" starting in 1999. The attorneys for the health system could only produce only one report for the grand jury. That report was about Semika Shaw a 22-year-old who died at the university hospital of internal bleeding and sepsis after a botched abortion in 2000. Insurers who insure Dr. Gosnell ended up paying a $900,000 settlement.
Susan Phillips a spokeswoman for the health-system clarified the statement saying, "we have staff who specifically recall making oral reports" to state officials about Gosnell.
Two whistle blowers, one a Philadelphia doctor and the other one a suburban medical examiner said they never heard back from state officials, because of the states lapses it helped Gosnell to keep operating unchecked for years.
In grand jury criticized the Pennsylvania's health and medical regulators for taking no action against Dr. Gosnell, despite reports that he was harming patients. Also in it's report the grand jury said. "That too many local physicians had shirked their professional and legal responsibilities to report him and thus protect the lives of future clinic patients."
According to Pennsylvania law a doctor is required to report abortion complications to the state Health Department. "Physicians have an ethical obligation to report impaired, incompetent and unethical colleagues," says the American Medical Association.
Apparently no reports were filed on Dr. Gosnell after 1999 when his patient Marie Smith, 20, arrived unconscious with an infection and fetal parts still inside her at Penn Presbyterian Hospital. No report was made on Dana Haynes after she went to the emergency room at the Hospital of Pennsylvania in 2006. She had a perforated cervix, uterus and bowel, and fetal parts still inside her.
At least two other of Dr. Gosnell patients are known to authorities that was treated at the university hospital and was not reported. Can You Afford the Costs of Health Insurance? Health Insurance in California - Tonik Health Plans Importance of Doctoral Thesis California Group Health Insurance Get Online Health Insurance at Your Fingertips Moving abroad? Don't forget your health insurance! How To Get The Best Rates On Iowa Health Insurance? How To Find The Suitable Montana Health Insurance? New Bill Mandates All US Residents To Have Health Insurance Cost Of Health Insurance In New Jersey Is Moving Up In Texas, Health Insurance Is A Necessity Things You Should Know Before Opting For Virginia Health Insurance Visitors Health Insurance Provides Total Cover