Minnesota hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and community behavioral health hospitals must report certain serious adverse health events to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). In 2011, the eighth year of reporting, the total number of events reported under the law is 316, a slight increase from the 305 events reported in 2010. Of the 316 adverse health events reported, 84 resulted in serious disability and 5 resulted in death.
These serious disabilities and deaths were caused by the following, according to the adverse health events report issued by MDH:
- Surgery or invasive procedure on the wrong body part – one serious disability;
- Misuse of malfunction of a medical device – one serious disability;
- Intravascular air embolism related to medical device – one death;
- Patient disappearance – one serious disability;
- Attempted suicide by patient – one serious disability;
- Medication error – 7 serious disabilities and one death;
- Disability during low-risk pregnancy, labor or delivery – 2 serious disabilities;
- Failure to treat hyperbilirubinemia (newborn screening should prevent this condition that is associated with severe jaundice) – one serious disability;
- Pressure ulcer (bed sore) – 2 serious disability;
- Fall at Hospital or Facility – 68 serious disability and 3 deaths;
Hospitals and Other Facilities Reporting Serious Disability or Death
The following hospitals reported serious disability (SD) or death between October 7, 2010, and October 6, 2011 to the Minnesota Department of Health (2011 Adverse Health Events Report):
Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis – 7 SD from fall;
Avera Marshall Regional Medial Center, Marshall – One SD from fall;
Bethesda Hospital, St. Paul – One SD from fall;
Buffalo Hospital – One SD from fall;
Essentia Health Sandstone – One death from a medication error and one SD from fall;
Essentia Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Brainerd – One SD from fall;
Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital, Detroit Lakes – One SD from fall;
Essentai Health St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth – 3 SD from fall;
Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Wyoming, MN – One SD from fall and one SD from a medication error;
Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville – 2 SD from fall;
Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina – One SD from a medication error;
Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital, Grand Rapids – One SD from fall;
Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis – 9 SD from fall;
Hutchinson Area Healthcare, Hutchinson – 2 SD from fall;
Lakewood Health Center, Baudette – One SD from fall;
Lifecare Medical Center, Roseau – One SD from fall;
Madison Hospital – One SD from fall;
Maple Grove Hospital – One SD from low risk pregnancy, labor or delivery;
Mayo Clinic Health System, Austin – One SD from medication error;
Mayo Clinic – Methodist Hospital, Rochester – 2 SD from fall and one SD from use or malfunction of a medical device implant;
Mayo Clinic – St Mary’s Hospital, Rochester – One death from fall;
Meeker Memorial Hospital, Litchfield – 2 SD from fall;
Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids – 2 SD from fall;
New Ulm Medical Center – One SD from fall;
North Memorial Medical Center, Robbinsdale – 2 SD from fall;
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Minneapolis – One SD from medication error;
Rainy Lake Medical Center, International Falls – One SD from fall;
Regina Medical Center, Hastings – One SD from fall:Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia – One SD from fall;
Riverwood Healthcare Center, Aitkin – One SD from fall;
Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Wabasha – One SD from fall;
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Bemidji – One SD from pressure ulcer;
Sanford Luverne Medical Center, Luverne – One SD from fall;
Sanford Worthington – One death from fall;
Sleepy Eye Medical Center – One SD from fall;
St. Cloud Hospital – 3 SD from fall;
St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee – One death from fall;
St. John’s Hospital, Maplewood – One SD from a surgery or other invasive procedure performed on the wrong body part, 2 SD from medication error, one SD from fall;
St. Joseph’s Area Health Services, Inc., Park Rapids – One SD from fall;
St. Luke’s Hospital, Duluth – 3 SD from fall;
St. Michael’s Hospital & Nursing Home, Sauk Centre – One SD from fall;
United Hospital, St. Paul – One SD from attempted suicide, one SD from pressure ulcer, and 3 SD from fall;
University of Minnesota (U of M) Medical Center – Fairview, Mpls – One death from an intravascular air embolism, one SD from a patient disappearance, one SD from medication error, one SD from failure to identify and treat excessive bilirubin in new born (hyerbilirubinemia and jaundice), and 5 SD from fall.
Attorney Fred Pritzker is our lead attorneys for our Minnesota medical malpractice cases. Fred was again named “Minnesota Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics magazine in 2011. To contact them or another attorney, submit our free consultation form or call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or 612-338-0202.