Stanford failures and institutional cover-up resulted in a patient death on March 4, 2016 from a routine, scheduled, cardiac mitral valve replacement. However, according to the formal report by the California Department of Public Health, (CHPH) Stanford assigned an inept physician assistant without proper training or supervision to the direct care of the post-op patient which resulted in the ultimate death through gastric bleeding and shock. Nursing staff failed to check the gastrointestinal tube and the PA told the nurses that it was fine to continue to feed the patient through the same tube without performing the required tests and x-ray. Hence, CDPH determined that the preventable patient death was avoidable, and due directly to the actions of Stanford.    

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Immediate Jeopardy Citation against Stanford

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Stanford has been cited for regular and habitual violation of health and safety codes and patient privacy statues. The California Department of Public  Health has issued multiple citations to Stanford for their misconduct. 

See

Citation 1

Citation 2

Citation 3

Citation 4

Citation 5

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Downloadable format of Stanford Citations:

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Here are seven things to know.

1. CMS penalized Stanford Health Care with a 1 percent reimbursement decrease in 2016 and 2017 for having high hospital-acquired infection rates in 2013 and 2014. The health system was one of about 750 other hospital networks penalized by CMS in 2016 and 2017 for poor infection rates.

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2. State data showed cases of Clostridium difficile per 1,000 patient days increased from 0.30 in 2010 to 1.05 in 2011, according to the union. In 2014, cases jumped to 1.38 per 1,000 patient days.

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3. Union workers also cited state data showing patient deaths from intestinal bacteria contracted at the hospital increased from 12 in 2011 to 26 in 2014.

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4. The union claims hospital housekeepers and janitors are understaffed and not permitted enough time to properly sanitize a room in between patients.

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"The hospital needs to get its priorities in line so patients and workers aren't afraid of walking in and getting infected," Arun Kumar, a housekeeper at the hospital, said in a statement cited by The Mercury News.

5. Salyna Nevarez, a phlebotomist at Stanford Hospital, said she's heard of numerous cases where hospital workers needed to be tested for tuberculosis after they weren't informed the patient they were handling had the bacterial disease. Ms. Navarez also told The Mercury News not all patients with C. diff have signage outside their rooms informing staff members of the infection.

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"All of this can be prevented," Ms. Nevarez told The Mercury News. "But it's 'Hurry up. We gotta go, we gotta go.' Because of understaffing, lots of corners are getting cut for infection control."

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