Wow! Folks, GA rarely ventures over to that cauldron of stupidity, Hoboken411, but I did check today for a rebuttal to last night's SOTC. No rebuttal but instead a shocking accusation lobbed at our hospital's new owner. Even for that festering sore on the rump of Hoboken's blogosphere, this one teetered over the edge.
Into libelous waters.
Perry Klaussen of Hoboken411 asks readers if the Hoboken University Medical Center(HUMC) is "primed" to "kill more patients". Get it? He's inferring the HUMC killing spree is well underway, the question is will they kill MORE now under HoldCo?
Wow, again.
Then Grim Reaper Klaussen presents 2 unsourced bar charts illustrating projected deaths, presumably at the hands of the HUMC and BMC killers...
Here's what Klaussen-stein wrote:
Into libelous waters.
Perry Klaussen of Hoboken411 asks readers if the Hoboken University Medical Center(HUMC) is "primed" to "kill more patients". Get it? He's inferring the HUMC killing spree is well underway, the question is will they kill MORE now under HoldCo?
Wow, again.
Then Grim Reaper Klaussen presents 2 unsourced bar charts illustrating projected deaths, presumably at the hands of the HUMC and BMC killers...
Paging Dr. Bundy. Dr. Gacy, you're wanted in O.R. Dr. Dahmer, patient is code blue....
Here's what Klaussen-stein wrote:
Is HUMC primed to kill more patients?WOW.
A Hoboken411 source wanted to share some information that may concern you all. It’s regarding the owners of the Bayonne Medical Center (who now own HUMC), and the apparent tendency for more patients to die in their care.
Paging Philip Schaengold... paging Philip Schaengold, HoldCO CEO... contact your legal department...
He said that, based on raw statistical data, once the new owners took over in Bayonne – the death rate at the hospital skyrocketed nearly doubling that of Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) despite the two hospitals serving essentially the same demographics.Oye vey. If Klaussen-vorkian isn't served with a libel suit by 5 pm tomorrow, I'll be shocked. Take a look.
Not sure I’d be too comfortable with what happens when a hospital is put into the wrong group of hands – sounds like it could be disastrous.
The "report" on Moron411 simply divides reported deaths and divides by total admissions. Moron411 fails to take into account the likelihood that Bayonne and JCMC have different case mixes.
ReplyDeleteIn Bayonne's case, reported deaths are about the same from 2008 to 2010. However, because they have been out-of-network, total admissions have dropped as some out-of-network patients have taken their elective cases, procedures, and tests elsewhere. These admissions are less likely to result in death. Bayonne's patients are likely to be older (Medicare) or more acutely sick or injured (ER admission, covered by the insurer regardless of network status).
The US Dept of Health & Human services tracks RISK-ADJUSTED mortality rates for patients with heart failure, heart attack, and pneumonia. Bayonne, JCMC, and Hoboken are ALL at the national average for these indices.
The suggestion that patients who go to Bayonne are twice as likely to die than if they had gone to JCMC instead is wrong. Moron411 is a purveyor of misinformation, and dangerously so.
ok but this has to be looked into more.
ReplyDeleteBear in mind that we're dealing with small numbers here. Mortality rates - again, not risk-adjusted - are 4 per 1000 admits at JCMC vs 7 per 1000 admits at Bayonne. In either facility, if you're admitted, you have a greater than 99% chance that you'll still be breathing upon discharge.
ReplyDelete