Medical errors linked to 20 Minn. deaths

Medical errors linked to 20 Minn. deaths

By Martiga Lohn

Jan. 20, 2005 | St. Paul, Minn. -- Twenty patients died in Minnesota hospitals during a 15-month period because of medical errors or oversights including falls, faulty medical equipment and administering the wrong medication, the state Health Department said in a new report.

The report, released Wednesday, documented 99 serious errors between July 1, 2003 and Oct. 6, 2004. Minnesota is the first state to report its mistakes under standards developed by the National Quality Forum, a Washington-based nonprofit. New Jersey and Connecticut also adopted the standards, which are being considered elsewhere.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apscience_story.asp?category=1500&slug=Medical%20Mistakes

But, by all means, let's make it impossible for the victims of medical malpractice to hold incompetent doctors responsible. All med mal lawsuits, after all, are "frivolous" - the only goal of the victims is to win a "jackpot."

(in this case 2 of 20) will actually file a claim, we now see where the actual "crisis" is. Tort "reform" is the biggest scam in recent years.

$5 million.

Compare that to...oh...pro baseball salaries:

CONTRACTS WORTH $50 MILLION OR MORE
Player, club Years Total value
Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati 2000-2009 $116.5 million
Kevin Brown, Los Angeles 1999-2005 $105 million
Mike Piazza, N.Y. Mets 1999-2005 $91 million
Bernie Williams, N.Y. Yankees 1999-2005 $87.5 million
Shawn Green, Los Angeles 2000-05 $84 million
Mo Vaughn, Anaheim 1999-2004 $80 million
Pedro Martinez, Boston 1998-2003 $75 million
Larry Walker, Colorado 2000-05 $75 million
Gary Sheffield, Los Angeles 1998-2003 $68.5 million
Albert Belle, Baltimore 1999-2003 $65 million
Raul Mondesi, Toronto 1998-2003 $60 million
Greg Maddux, Atlanta 1998-2002 $57.5 million
Randy Johnson, Arizona 1999-2002 $52.4 million

Annual value
NEW YORK -- Figures were obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources and include all guaranteed income but not income from potential incentive bonuses. There is no distinction for money deferred without interest:

ANNUAL CONTRACTS AVERAGING $10 MILLION OR MORE
Player, club Years Avg. salary
Kevin Brown, Los Angeles 1999-2005 $15,000,000
Shawn Green, Los Angeles 2000-05 $14,000,000
Mo Vaughn, Anaheim 1999-2004 $13,333,333
Randy Johnson, Arizona 1999-2002 $13,100,000
Mike Piazza, N.Y. Mets 1999-2005 $13,000,000
Albert Belle, Baltimore 1999-2003 $13,000,000
Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati 2000-2009 $12,944,444
Pedro Martinez, Boston 1998-2003 $12,500,000
Bernie Williams, N.Y. Yankees 1999-2005 $12,500,000
Larry Walker, Colorado 2000-05 $12,500,000
David Cone, N.Y. Yankees 2000 $12,000,000
Carlos Delgado, Toronto 2000-02 $12,000,000
Greg Maddux, Atlanta 1998-2002 $11,500,000
Barry Bonds, San Francisco 1999-2000 $11,450,000
Gary Sheffield, Los Angeles 1998-2003 $11,416,667
Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs 1998-2001 $10,625,000
Raul Mondesi, Toronto 1998-2003 $10,000,000
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/highsalaries.html

I not necessarily anti-humongous salary: my 51 years on this planet has taught me that many of us are out for Number 1 and to hell with everybody else (I believe this is the GOP's mantra), but I do deplore gross hypocrisy and Bush is a gross hypocrite. He wants to cap malpractice awards as apparently he knows how much "pain and suffering" is worth, and its nowhere near what pro baseball players make.

Bush "trusts the people," until they get on juries...

Why, you traitorous subversive! Don't you know that it's those wicked, selfish patients and greedy, scum-sucking trial lawyers filing their "junk" and "frivolous" lawsuits against the sainted, pure, perfect, holy, medical profession that's the real problem? Why, these patients should never have put themselves in the position for mistakes to be made, it's all their fault, doncha know? :evilgrin: