Recent HealthGrades studies show that 195,000 die each year from medical error in hospitals, according to Newsweek. On its website HealthGrades has posted a list of hospitals with the best patient safety records. Also Accreditation of Health Care Organizations has posted a scorecard for the quality of hospitals, and suggest a patient check it out before admissions.

This is outrageous. With this kind of malpractice there would be widespread lawsuits except, I suspect, most cases are covered up. The issue, however, is not lawsuits, but more important is the quality of health care that the political spectrum continues to ignore. Although the Senate recently passed legislation, it only creates voluntary and confidential reporting of medical errors for providers to learn from these mistakes! Here we have color coded alerts for homeland security to save lives and we do nothing about rectifying a serious, continuing casualty list that dwarfs those dying in Iraq. Dr. Samantha Collier, vice president of medical affairs states, [This death toll] “is the equivalent of 390 Jumbo jets filled with people dying each year.”

It is not sad enough that people are at risk because of their illness, but now they have to research a hospital that’s safe? — and in an emergency there is no choice. It is unbelievable that the richest country in the world lets slide appropriate training and health reform. Isn’t it time to stop our nation’s bleeding from widespread mediocrity?

Copyright © 2004 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: August, 4, 2004.