According to the NC Secretary of State, SanStone Management LLC, was created on February 24, 2014. Does that mean that SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, is now managed by SanStone Management? How many ways can you take money from a business ? Christopher Sprenger and Mike Deloach seem to be experts, both are managing employees at all the SanStone properties. Now they are being managed by themselves, and I'm sure they are getting paid a management fee. I wonder if that will affect their pay as managing employees? Does SanStone need both managing employees, being managed by themselves?
It looks like they have been to the Larry Joe Russell school of taking all the money you can from your business without actually having to do anything for it. Dr. Russell is a master at getting paid for doing nothing. He bills patients for visits that he doesn't make. He diagnoses patients with illnesses, and then provides them with rental equipment to treat the fake illness. All this under the watchful eye of the ever competent NC Medical Board.
The NC Medical Board, NCDHHS, NC Board of Nursing and the CMS are supposed to be "regulating" the medical community. I know that I have been focused on nursing homes, that's where it all started for me. It is obviously a problem across the medical community. Nurses are the ones that really know what's going on in the hospitals and doctors offices. They are not necessarily bad people, they just know if they tell what actually happens, they don't work.
If you have to go to the doctor, you better pray that the nurse keeps the doctor from killing you. I've seen jokes on Facebook about this, people think it's funny. Next time you have to go to the doctor, are you going to know if you are getting the right treatment for your illness? Do you trust the doctor, just because he has a piece of paper on the wall and a white coat? Is there anything in the office that shows the doctors integrity? Does the doctor own the pharmacy, that you will get that $35.00 prescription from? Unless you have time to research who owns what, you will never know.
I was in the hospital two times last year, both times, I had to call the doctors attention to something, that could have been harmful. One of the times, I was on a medication, that should have been discontinued two weeks before. The list of current medications was in the file, the doctor just didn't take the time to look. The person calling from the hospital the day before the procedure, noticed what the doctor should have. The second time I was going for a test, the test involved injection of iodine into my spine. The doctor was on the ball, he saw the allergy and prescribed a preventive drug, good job! The morning of the test, I showed up at Mission Hospital, and as the nurse went over my chart, she discovered that I was on a medication, that should have been held for at least two days. They sent me home and rescheduled the test for another day. They were nice enough to give me a $20.00 gas card for my trouble.
This is an issue that should scare almost everyone who goes to the doctor. It is important to point out that none of these involved my regular doctor, actually an FNP. I have never had a problem with the care I receive form my provider. What happens when you go to a specialist, does your doctor go with you to make sure they don't make a mistake?
The system is so flawed, that you are literally at the mercy of the doctors. If they make a mistake, no one is going to come forward and admit it. How many people are taking medications they should not be taking, simply because the doctor is playing golf with the pharmacy rep? How many unnecessary procedures are being done, just so the doctor can pay for that little cabin he bought in Gatlinburg?
Anyone who is reading this, I would guess, has had similar experiences. We are among the lucky ones, their mistakes didn't kill us. What about the ones who weren't so lucky, did anyone ask why they died? Did the Medical Board ask the doctor what happened? This is a reality, that we have to face in todays society. Good luck!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Beverly Speroff, Todd Davis and the NCDHHS. Lies and corruption run rampant !!!!
I have been going through the records of the investigation of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, regarding the complaint I filed against them with NCDHHS. I have been finding so many conflicts in their own records, that I called them. I spoke to Todd Davis, the current Western Regional Director of Department of Health Service Regulations. I called him to ask if he would meet with me to discuss the discrepancies in their report.
He immediately took a defensive position, and even chuckled at the fact that I would call and question their investigation. Then I realized that he was the lead investigator. It was his report that I was calling about! He said that since the investigation was done so long ago, that he would have to consult with his supervisor. I told him that I only wanted clarification on some of the key points of the report.
Today I received a letter from Beverly Speroff, the Nursing Home Licensing and Certification Section Chief. Her letter stated that since the investigation was done on January 18 - 19 2012, and Physician Advisor reviews were done in March 2012, They would not be able to honor my request.
Ms. Speroff goes on to say that since that time, they have completed two recertification reviews on Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. After a recertification survey has been completed, they are not able to cite deficiencies prior to the date of the survey.
It took almost an act of Congress to get the survey from the Freedom of Information Act. I did not receive them till late in the year 2013. How convenient is it that it takes so long to get the information, that after you get it, it is to late to do anything. the system is definitely on the side of the wealthy nursing home owners. What a surprise!
All this may not seem very important, till you realize that the other agencies I contacted, relied on the NCDHHS report to decide whether anything went wrong or not. The NCDHHS report kept the NC State Medical Examiners office from doing an autopsy. It also kept all the other agencies from looking any further.
The most important document is a late entry nurses note filed by Lara Mooney LPN. It concerns the night Mom fell. I have a sworn statement from Moms roommate at the time that tells a different story than nurse Money. I have been going through these papers for over two years. The other night I noticed that nurse Mooneys, report was faxed somewhere on December 2, 2011. The date of the late entry was Dec. 1, 2011. The investigation states that the date is wrong, because they would not wait a month to do a late entry. There is nothing to prove when the late entry was actually done, except the date on the actual form. December 1, 2011.
Being suspicious of the NCDHHS, I looked through my hand written notes. I had contacted the NC State Medical examiners office several times with no satisfaction. Then I mentioned the fall, to a Hillary Sheaves with the NC State Medical Examiners Office, she stopped me and asked if I said fall. Ms. Sheaves then proceed to tell me that they would get the report of the fall, and consider an autopsy. The date of that call was November 30, 2011, I remember where I was when I made that call, and it was late in the afternoon.
Is it a coincidence, that the nurses late entry was dated December 1. Is it also a coincidence, that the same report says that Mom, pulled her alarm off and slid to the floor, before nurse Mooney could get to her. I can assure you, that if nurse Mooney had been in the doorway as she stated, all she would have had to do was speak to Mom, and she wouldn't have gotten out of bed.
This bogus nurses note, fraudulently written by nurse Mooney, was what kept the State Medical Examiner from doing an autopsy. The same late entry nurses note, was simply dismissed by the NCDHHS, simply because " they wouldn't wait a month to do a late entry ". Nothing to prove when the note was written, just an opinion. The opinion of one Todd Davis, now the Western Regional Director of the NCDHHS. I guess if you look the other way, you get a nice promotion, like Todd Davis did.
The NCDHHS is no stranger to corruption, and this case is no exception. It sure looks like corruption to me, if not, why would they not explain their investigation? That is what I asked them to do.
I guess if I had quit my job, and spent every waking hour, trying to get this information, things would be different. Fortunately for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, and the NCDHHS, I could not afford to do so. I will continue to pursue the truth, regardless of being shot down at every turn by the NCDHHS.
He immediately took a defensive position, and even chuckled at the fact that I would call and question their investigation. Then I realized that he was the lead investigator. It was his report that I was calling about! He said that since the investigation was done so long ago, that he would have to consult with his supervisor. I told him that I only wanted clarification on some of the key points of the report.
Today I received a letter from Beverly Speroff, the Nursing Home Licensing and Certification Section Chief. Her letter stated that since the investigation was done on January 18 - 19 2012, and Physician Advisor reviews were done in March 2012, They would not be able to honor my request.
Ms. Speroff goes on to say that since that time, they have completed two recertification reviews on Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. After a recertification survey has been completed, they are not able to cite deficiencies prior to the date of the survey.
It took almost an act of Congress to get the survey from the Freedom of Information Act. I did not receive them till late in the year 2013. How convenient is it that it takes so long to get the information, that after you get it, it is to late to do anything. the system is definitely on the side of the wealthy nursing home owners. What a surprise!
All this may not seem very important, till you realize that the other agencies I contacted, relied on the NCDHHS report to decide whether anything went wrong or not. The NCDHHS report kept the NC State Medical Examiners office from doing an autopsy. It also kept all the other agencies from looking any further.
The most important document is a late entry nurses note filed by Lara Mooney LPN. It concerns the night Mom fell. I have a sworn statement from Moms roommate at the time that tells a different story than nurse Money. I have been going through these papers for over two years. The other night I noticed that nurse Mooneys, report was faxed somewhere on December 2, 2011. The date of the late entry was Dec. 1, 2011. The investigation states that the date is wrong, because they would not wait a month to do a late entry. There is nothing to prove when the late entry was actually done, except the date on the actual form. December 1, 2011.
Being suspicious of the NCDHHS, I looked through my hand written notes. I had contacted the NC State Medical examiners office several times with no satisfaction. Then I mentioned the fall, to a Hillary Sheaves with the NC State Medical Examiners Office, she stopped me and asked if I said fall. Ms. Sheaves then proceed to tell me that they would get the report of the fall, and consider an autopsy. The date of that call was November 30, 2011, I remember where I was when I made that call, and it was late in the afternoon.
Is it a coincidence, that the nurses late entry was dated December 1. Is it also a coincidence, that the same report says that Mom, pulled her alarm off and slid to the floor, before nurse Mooney could get to her. I can assure you, that if nurse Mooney had been in the doorway as she stated, all she would have had to do was speak to Mom, and she wouldn't have gotten out of bed.
This bogus nurses note, fraudulently written by nurse Mooney, was what kept the State Medical Examiner from doing an autopsy. The same late entry nurses note, was simply dismissed by the NCDHHS, simply because " they wouldn't wait a month to do a late entry ". Nothing to prove when the note was written, just an opinion. The opinion of one Todd Davis, now the Western Regional Director of the NCDHHS. I guess if you look the other way, you get a nice promotion, like Todd Davis did.
The NCDHHS is no stranger to corruption, and this case is no exception. It sure looks like corruption to me, if not, why would they not explain their investigation? That is what I asked them to do.
I guess if I had quit my job, and spent every waking hour, trying to get this information, things would be different. Fortunately for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, and the NCDHHS, I could not afford to do so. I will continue to pursue the truth, regardless of being shot down at every turn by the NCDHHS.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Everything I have screams corruption, am I crazy?
I have been writing this blog for almost two years. I have not always been nice in what I have said about some of the people involved. Let me explain what has taken place in that time.
During Mom's brief stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, there were several issues with the care she was receiving. At the time, she was doing well with her therapy, and eating more than she had been. The benefits seemed to outweigh our concerns. These people are very good at using human emotions to deceive the relatives of their residents.
A large percent of the "patients " in these type places, have no choice. They require much more care than the families can provide. There comes a time, when there is no choice but to seek "professional" help. This is not something most people are experienced at. How do you decide which facility to trust with your loved one? There are plenty of websites that post reviews, most of them are " sponsored ", by the homes themselves. Then there is Medicare.gov, the governments nursing home rating site. This site has a star rating system, just like the other ones do. The problem with that, is there stars are given, based on NCDHHS inspections. The NCDHHS is not very aggressive at finding things wrong. I have the results of a NCDHHS "investigation", and there are places where it contradicts itself. The problem is that these places are so profitable, they can make sure they get a favorable rating.
When you have to make the decision to put someone you love into a nursing home, you want to believe that they are getting the care they need. You see the commercials on television, a happy older person telling how great the place is.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, is run by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation The ads for SanStone end with the phrase " SanStone , our passion makes the difference ". Sounds like the kind of place I would want to send my Mom . Well, if you look below the surface, it is hardly that kind of place. Medicare.gov, gives them two stars, out of five, below average. Keep in mind, that is based on those NCDHHS investigations. You can read the results of those investigations at Medicare.gov.
Here is how it works. The facility is inspected by the NCDHHS, and they find violations. To be in compliance, the facility simply has to say they will correct them. The response is written as follows
"Facility name requests to have this plan of correction serve as our written allegation of compliance.
Preparation and/or execution of this plan of correction does not constitute admission to nor agreement with either the existence of, or scope and severity of any of the cited deficiencies, or conclusions set forth in the statement of deficiencies. This plan of correction is prepared and executed to ensure continuing compliance with Federal and State regulatory laws."
So in other words, we don't admit to doing anything wrong, but if we did we would fix it by doing this______. We are only doing this to keep sucking the Medicare and Medicaid dollars. All they have to do is say they will correct something, and that's it!
I am in the restaurant business, when the health inspector comes in, I get a point score based on what they find wrong. Serious violations, have to be corrected immediately. I would like to think that anyone providing healthcare would be more accountable than a restaurant.
This is the reason I began writing this blog. The operators of nursing homes, and the NCDHHS, need to take these issues more seriously. They need to have more control over the care the patients are receiving. My goal is to help make a difference.
I hope that some of the things I mention, will help someone who has to choose a nursing home. Be ware of what you are told and ask questions. If you have a family member in a nursing home, don't make the mistake of thinking they are safe. For example in one month this year, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation had an average of more than two deaths a week. I am focusing on Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, simply because I have records from there. I have done considerable research, and they are pretty much all the Same. There are some out there that have one star, yet they are still allowed to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
There are non profit nursing homes, most are run by some religious organization. They generally have more staff and better training than the for profit homes. For profit homes, make their money, by understaffing. SanStone, list's Christopher Sprenger and Michal Deloach as owners, and managing employees at their facilities. In some industries, that would be called double dipping!
I'm sure there are good nursing homes out there, I'm also sure they are not SanStone properties. If you are looking for a nursing home, good luck. Just don't believe anything they tell you, and make them do their job! More later.
During Mom's brief stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, there were several issues with the care she was receiving. At the time, she was doing well with her therapy, and eating more than she had been. The benefits seemed to outweigh our concerns. These people are very good at using human emotions to deceive the relatives of their residents.
A large percent of the "patients " in these type places, have no choice. They require much more care than the families can provide. There comes a time, when there is no choice but to seek "professional" help. This is not something most people are experienced at. How do you decide which facility to trust with your loved one? There are plenty of websites that post reviews, most of them are " sponsored ", by the homes themselves. Then there is Medicare.gov, the governments nursing home rating site. This site has a star rating system, just like the other ones do. The problem with that, is there stars are given, based on NCDHHS inspections. The NCDHHS is not very aggressive at finding things wrong. I have the results of a NCDHHS "investigation", and there are places where it contradicts itself. The problem is that these places are so profitable, they can make sure they get a favorable rating.
When you have to make the decision to put someone you love into a nursing home, you want to believe that they are getting the care they need. You see the commercials on television, a happy older person telling how great the place is.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, is run by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation The ads for SanStone end with the phrase " SanStone , our passion makes the difference ". Sounds like the kind of place I would want to send my Mom . Well, if you look below the surface, it is hardly that kind of place. Medicare.gov, gives them two stars, out of five, below average. Keep in mind, that is based on those NCDHHS investigations. You can read the results of those investigations at Medicare.gov.
Here is how it works. The facility is inspected by the NCDHHS, and they find violations. To be in compliance, the facility simply has to say they will correct them. The response is written as follows
"Facility name requests to have this plan of correction serve as our written allegation of compliance.
Preparation and/or execution of this plan of correction does not constitute admission to nor agreement with either the existence of, or scope and severity of any of the cited deficiencies, or conclusions set forth in the statement of deficiencies. This plan of correction is prepared and executed to ensure continuing compliance with Federal and State regulatory laws."
So in other words, we don't admit to doing anything wrong, but if we did we would fix it by doing this______. We are only doing this to keep sucking the Medicare and Medicaid dollars. All they have to do is say they will correct something, and that's it!
I am in the restaurant business, when the health inspector comes in, I get a point score based on what they find wrong. Serious violations, have to be corrected immediately. I would like to think that anyone providing healthcare would be more accountable than a restaurant.
This is the reason I began writing this blog. The operators of nursing homes, and the NCDHHS, need to take these issues more seriously. They need to have more control over the care the patients are receiving. My goal is to help make a difference.
I hope that some of the things I mention, will help someone who has to choose a nursing home. Be ware of what you are told and ask questions. If you have a family member in a nursing home, don't make the mistake of thinking they are safe. For example in one month this year, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation had an average of more than two deaths a week. I am focusing on Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, simply because I have records from there. I have done considerable research, and they are pretty much all the Same. There are some out there that have one star, yet they are still allowed to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
There are non profit nursing homes, most are run by some religious organization. They generally have more staff and better training than the for profit homes. For profit homes, make their money, by understaffing. SanStone, list's Christopher Sprenger and Michal Deloach as owners, and managing employees at their facilities. In some industries, that would be called double dipping!
I'm sure there are good nursing homes out there, I'm also sure they are not SanStone properties. If you are looking for a nursing home, good luck. Just don't believe anything they tell you, and make them do their job! More later.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Kim Britt, Todd Davis and Paul Yockey, what is your integrity worth ???
I have spent the last week going over the documents from the NCDHHS investigation of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, and Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I have come to the conclusion that there was no sincere effort to determine if any regulations were actually broken. The NCDHHS investigators obviously wrote down exactly what they were told to. There are even different accounts of certain events, that are written by the same person. There are three different dates listed for the late entry nurses notes concerning the night Mom fell, in the same paragraph.
The complaint investigation was supposedly conducted on January 18 and 19, 2011. The people doing the investigation were, Kim Britt, Todd Davis, and Paul Yockey.
I spent considerable time in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, during Mom's stay there. One thing is for certain, I could do a walkthrough, and find as many violations as I could write down. Amazingly, the team sent by the NCDHHS could not even find one. Even after meeting with Gail Maloney, the Western regional Director of NCDHHS, and presenting her with the proof, still nothing wrong.
It has been over two years since Mom died at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, while under the care of Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I am getting tired of getting ignored, lied to, and just plain ignored. I actually have an email from an agent, with the OIG, (office of Inspector General ) that says they have the information we sent, but they don't have time to investigate. They assured me that the information is kept on file, and if more people complain, they may actually investigate.
The law says that they are supposed to investigate any allegations of fraud, no matter what the dollar amount. I guess that only applies, if there is more than one complaint. The same information was given to the FBI, the agent we spoke to said there was more than enough to start an investigation. We met with the same agent, on two separate occasions. That agent has since transferred to another branch of the DOJ ( Department of Justice ).
Since I started asking questions, several people I have spoken with, are no longer where they were when this began. The first was Jennifer Thomas, the medical records clerk that was at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, when Mom died. Then there was Gail Maloney, the Western Regional Director of the NCDHHS. Lara Mooney LPN, the nurse on duty the night Mom fell. Susan Habel, the director of nursing at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation during Mom's stay. Maude " Cookie" Romeo, the administrator at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation during Mom's Stay. The original FBI agent we met with was the last person that I know of that has changed jobs, since I began this quest. These are just the ones that I know of, are there more? Is this all just a coincidence, or is there somebody with considerable influence making people go away??
I am getting tired of the fight, I may slow down, but I will not stop looking.
The complaint investigation was supposedly conducted on January 18 and 19, 2011. The people doing the investigation were, Kim Britt, Todd Davis, and Paul Yockey.
I spent considerable time in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, during Mom's stay there. One thing is for certain, I could do a walkthrough, and find as many violations as I could write down. Amazingly, the team sent by the NCDHHS could not even find one. Even after meeting with Gail Maloney, the Western regional Director of NCDHHS, and presenting her with the proof, still nothing wrong.
It has been over two years since Mom died at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, while under the care of Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I am getting tired of getting ignored, lied to, and just plain ignored. I actually have an email from an agent, with the OIG, (office of Inspector General ) that says they have the information we sent, but they don't have time to investigate. They assured me that the information is kept on file, and if more people complain, they may actually investigate.
The law says that they are supposed to investigate any allegations of fraud, no matter what the dollar amount. I guess that only applies, if there is more than one complaint. The same information was given to the FBI, the agent we spoke to said there was more than enough to start an investigation. We met with the same agent, on two separate occasions. That agent has since transferred to another branch of the DOJ ( Department of Justice ).
Since I started asking questions, several people I have spoken with, are no longer where they were when this began. The first was Jennifer Thomas, the medical records clerk that was at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, when Mom died. Then there was Gail Maloney, the Western Regional Director of the NCDHHS. Lara Mooney LPN, the nurse on duty the night Mom fell. Susan Habel, the director of nursing at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation during Mom's stay. Maude " Cookie" Romeo, the administrator at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation during Mom's Stay. The original FBI agent we met with was the last person that I know of that has changed jobs, since I began this quest. These are just the ones that I know of, are there more? Is this all just a coincidence, or is there somebody with considerable influence making people go away??
I am getting tired of the fight, I may slow down, but I will not stop looking.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Who cares how you die??? NCDHHS, the medical examiner, or the ER doctor at Pardee Hospital?
In my last post I gave some statistics from death certificates in Henderson County NC. I returned to the Henderson County NC Courthouse. This time I went through the book immediately before the last one. I didn't get the exact dates but it should be between late August and the end of October.
Dr. Larry Joe Russell signed a total of thirty seven death certificates, of those, eleven "failed to thrive". There were eight at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
As I was going through them I noticed another doctor from Dr. Russell's office had been signing them also. The other doctor is Dr. Kevan Hansel, currently at Lamond Family Medicine in Hendersonville. Dr.Hansel had signed six death certificates. If you add those to Dr. Russell's that's a total of forty three death certificates in under three months. That seems like quite a lot in a County that has a population of under 110000.
As I was doing my research, I spoke to an employee of the registrar of deeds office. She told me that all they do is file the death certificates in the books. They are sent from the courthouse from the Henderson County Health Department. It became apparent that there was no one looking at them for irregularities. Just like everything concerning health care, each person that looks at something is looking at something specific.
The truth of the matter is that the doctors can write whatever they want on the death certificates as long as they fill in all the blanks. The health department is looking for contagious diseases, and the clerks are just making sure all the boxes are checked.
I would expect that someone might notice if a certain doctor was signing more death certificates than others. Or if a certain nursing home had an unusually high number of deaths. It seems that there is no real interest in how or where elderly people die.
This is quite suspicious, if you consider that Dr. Russell, is one of the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. If someone at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, died because they did something wrong, Dr. Russell just has to put whatever he wants on the death certificate. Even if the patient dies at Margret Pardee Hospital, like Mom supposedly did, Dr. Russell still signs the death certificate. You would think that the doctor who pronounces the patient dead, would be somewhat responsible for determining the cause. That's not how it works, they refer it back to the treating physician of record. In Mom's case, there is not one record that Dr. Russell ever saw her. So he just guessed that since there was no reason for Mom to have died, it was an acute coronary arrhythmia. No contributing cause, or any further explanation necessary, Dr. Russell didn't even have to offer anything else. There was absolutely no tests done at the hospital to determine the cause of death. As long as there is no visible trauma to the body, no questions asked. They could have injected her with antifreeze, and no one would ever know.
I understand that elderly people do die, sometimes, there is no apparent explanation. However, the NC State Medcal Examiners office states that if a patient dies from something other than what they are being treated for, an autopsy should be done.
If that patient dies in Hendersonville NC, at Pardee Memorial Hospital, the decision is up to the medical examiner on call. If the patient is in the latter part of their life, and there are no visible wounds, they just ship them off to the funeral home, no further explanation necessary.
It seems to me that maybe if someone considered the treatment administered up until the point of death, they would be doing a lot more autopsy's. Nursing homes, and other care facilities, never have to worry about making mistakes. Unless they leave a mark, they are home free. That means if they accidentally give the wrong medicine to someone, and they die, they get a free pass. If they fail to read a dietary order and serve Bill a peanut butter sandwich, and he just happens to have a peanut allergy, another free pass. I could go on and on, but I think the point is clear, there is basically no accountability.
I guess this is the medical communities answer to population control. NC DHHS is the final authority on these issues, and they could care less. They are the problem, rather than the solution. They simply need to hold the others accountable for their actions, to make a difference. I can assure you that is not their goal, they don't question the doctors, or nursing homes. Again, they all get a free pass.
Dr. Larry Joe Russell signed a total of thirty seven death certificates, of those, eleven "failed to thrive". There were eight at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
As I was going through them I noticed another doctor from Dr. Russell's office had been signing them also. The other doctor is Dr. Kevan Hansel, currently at Lamond Family Medicine in Hendersonville. Dr.Hansel had signed six death certificates. If you add those to Dr. Russell's that's a total of forty three death certificates in under three months. That seems like quite a lot in a County that has a population of under 110000.
As I was doing my research, I spoke to an employee of the registrar of deeds office. She told me that all they do is file the death certificates in the books. They are sent from the courthouse from the Henderson County Health Department. It became apparent that there was no one looking at them for irregularities. Just like everything concerning health care, each person that looks at something is looking at something specific.
The truth of the matter is that the doctors can write whatever they want on the death certificates as long as they fill in all the blanks. The health department is looking for contagious diseases, and the clerks are just making sure all the boxes are checked.
I would expect that someone might notice if a certain doctor was signing more death certificates than others. Or if a certain nursing home had an unusually high number of deaths. It seems that there is no real interest in how or where elderly people die.
This is quite suspicious, if you consider that Dr. Russell, is one of the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. If someone at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, died because they did something wrong, Dr. Russell just has to put whatever he wants on the death certificate. Even if the patient dies at Margret Pardee Hospital, like Mom supposedly did, Dr. Russell still signs the death certificate. You would think that the doctor who pronounces the patient dead, would be somewhat responsible for determining the cause. That's not how it works, they refer it back to the treating physician of record. In Mom's case, there is not one record that Dr. Russell ever saw her. So he just guessed that since there was no reason for Mom to have died, it was an acute coronary arrhythmia. No contributing cause, or any further explanation necessary, Dr. Russell didn't even have to offer anything else. There was absolutely no tests done at the hospital to determine the cause of death. As long as there is no visible trauma to the body, no questions asked. They could have injected her with antifreeze, and no one would ever know.
I understand that elderly people do die, sometimes, there is no apparent explanation. However, the NC State Medcal Examiners office states that if a patient dies from something other than what they are being treated for, an autopsy should be done.
If that patient dies in Hendersonville NC, at Pardee Memorial Hospital, the decision is up to the medical examiner on call. If the patient is in the latter part of their life, and there are no visible wounds, they just ship them off to the funeral home, no further explanation necessary.
It seems to me that maybe if someone considered the treatment administered up until the point of death, they would be doing a lot more autopsy's. Nursing homes, and other care facilities, never have to worry about making mistakes. Unless they leave a mark, they are home free. That means if they accidentally give the wrong medicine to someone, and they die, they get a free pass. If they fail to read a dietary order and serve Bill a peanut butter sandwich, and he just happens to have a peanut allergy, another free pass. I could go on and on, but I think the point is clear, there is basically no accountability.
I guess this is the medical communities answer to population control. NC DHHS is the final authority on these issues, and they could care less. They are the problem, rather than the solution. They simply need to hold the others accountable for their actions, to make a difference. I can assure you that is not their goal, they don't question the doctors, or nursing homes. Again, they all get a free pass.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Death certificate statistics, Larry Joe Russell and Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation!
It's amazing the things that you can find at the courthouse. Today I went to the Henderson County N.C. courthouse, to the register of deeds office. I went to the records room and began my research. I decided as the new year begins, to find out as much as I can about Dr. Larry Joe Russell and Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I am basically starting all over again, with a new determination. It all began at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, so that was today's focus.
My research today was in the book of death certificates, from November 1, 2011 to December 30, 2011, this would contain Mom's death certificate. In those two months, there were thirteen deaths listed at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. If you include Mom, that would be fourteen. That seems like a lot of deaths for a Health and Rehabilitation facility. Especially one run by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, their commercials say "Our passion makes the difference". I guess they must be passionate about letting patients die!
Next I looked at how many death certificates were signed by Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Mom's supposed doctor during her stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Turns out he has passion, similar to SanStone. Dr. Larry Joe Russell signed thirty three death certificates in the same two months. That's roughly one every other day! Of those thirty three, seven were at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, eight if you count Mom. Out of Dr. Russell's share of death certificates, eight of them died from a failure to thrive.
This is alarming to me, and I am of the opinion, that this should be alarming to someone else. I have shared similar information with the NCDHHS, and other government and law enforcement agencies. Not one seemed to have a problem, or even seemed concerned enough to look.
I will continue to share the statistics from the death certificates, until I am able to attract enough attention. I would ask that if this seems alarming to you, that you comment on this blog.
My research today was in the book of death certificates, from November 1, 2011 to December 30, 2011, this would contain Mom's death certificate. In those two months, there were thirteen deaths listed at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. If you include Mom, that would be fourteen. That seems like a lot of deaths for a Health and Rehabilitation facility. Especially one run by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, their commercials say "Our passion makes the difference". I guess they must be passionate about letting patients die!
Next I looked at how many death certificates were signed by Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Mom's supposed doctor during her stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Turns out he has passion, similar to SanStone. Dr. Larry Joe Russell signed thirty three death certificates in the same two months. That's roughly one every other day! Of those thirty three, seven were at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, eight if you count Mom. Out of Dr. Russell's share of death certificates, eight of them died from a failure to thrive.
This is alarming to me, and I am of the opinion, that this should be alarming to someone else. I have shared similar information with the NCDHHS, and other government and law enforcement agencies. Not one seemed to have a problem, or even seemed concerned enough to look.
I will continue to share the statistics from the death certificates, until I am able to attract enough attention. I would ask that if this seems alarming to you, that you comment on this blog.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Holiday memories, how can you not do something!!
When you lose someone, it is difficult during the holidays. Everything you do brings back memories of the person you lost. A certain Christmas carol, buying a tree, a special gift , an ornament on the tree, a specific holiday dish, and in my case ,especially eggnog.
It has been over two years since Mom died. During that time I cant think of one day I didn't think about her. Rather than forget her, and go on with my life, I have spent countless hours, going over her medical records. My brother and I spend hours almost every day talking about what is wrong with the system, and how it could be fixed. My Mom did not die for nothing, she died so that we would fight for the living, that cant fight for themselves.
I have had discussions about the lack of care in nursing homes, with almost anyone who would talk about it . I have heard stories that would make your skin crawl. I have been on the NCDHHS website, and the Medicare.gov website, it's hard to believe what they allow to happen.
The most disheartening thing of all, is the family members are just willing to let it happen. Although some of the people we have spoken with, have information that could help, they will not come forward. We have reached out to almost any agency or person that would listen, and they all say the same thing. It takes more than the death of one elderly person, to get anything done about it. I have an opportunity now, to get the necessary attention from some very important people. I will go to them with what I have concerning my Mom. I hope it is enough to get them to look at what is happening. I am certain, that if I had more people willing to act, we could make things better for those still suffering in nursing homes. I am asking anyone who reads this, who has any information that could help, to come forward .
I personally know at least two people who are currently going through issues with nursing homes. I know they have knowledge, and can prove that their loved ones are not being cared for. I cant not understand how they can stay silent. Their parents, or a family member, are suffering terrible things at the hands of these people, yet they wont help. I can only hope that when their time comes, someone will care enough to help them.
Old people die, that is the mantra of the nursing home owners and managers. They leave out how they die, some from being dropped, given the wrong medication, or just because there was not enough staff to help. They simply" fail to thrive " or suffer from an" acute coronary arrhythmia ". No one ever checks the doctors cause of death, simply because "old people die".
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have a whole lot of faith in doctors. I cant tell you how many times I have avoided tragedy by asking the right questions, or questioning something the doctor was doing. Many times the doctors depend on some low level office clerk, to catch potential life threatening issues. That's simply not good enough. If you are a doctor and you are getting paid, do your job. Take the time to actually examine the patient, and get familiar with their medical history. Make sure that there are no potential medication reactions. If you have a patient that had there skull sawed open, expect problems, especially if they fall.
There is one doctor in Hendersonville North Carolina, that definitely has to many patients. Dr. Larry Joe Russell,he is the medical director at The Laurels of Hendersonville, and also has an office, where he sees patients. Dr. Russell is also the doctor at all the nursing homes in Henderson Count NC. At least the ones that accept Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Russell is also the registered agent for several other medical practices in Henderson County. Dr. Russell is also partners with the owners of SanStone Health and Rehabilitation.
How could one doctor keep up with all of those patients? Simple, doctor Russell has fourteen LPN's and one PA. My guess is that he never actually "sees" a patient. Although he was supposed to be Mom's doctor, the records prove that he never even saw her. How can a doctor, that has not even seen a patient, have the knowledge to sign the death certificate?
I am using Dr. Larry Joe Russell as an example, simply because I have personal knowledge about him from Moms medical records. The same goes for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, personal experience. Everything I have read, and my personal experience, indicates that this is the normal.
If you wish to share any information, email me at jaemark7@bellsouth.net, I will answer you promptly, and will keep any information in strict confidence, if you desire. I just need to know more about how they operate, in order to stop them. It takes more than one dead elderly person to get attention.
Merry Christmas, and if you still have your parents and grandparents, love and hold them, enjoy them while you have them. You never know when they may end up in the hands of a Dr. Russell, or Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation of their own.
It has been over two years since Mom died. During that time I cant think of one day I didn't think about her. Rather than forget her, and go on with my life, I have spent countless hours, going over her medical records. My brother and I spend hours almost every day talking about what is wrong with the system, and how it could be fixed. My Mom did not die for nothing, she died so that we would fight for the living, that cant fight for themselves.
I have had discussions about the lack of care in nursing homes, with almost anyone who would talk about it . I have heard stories that would make your skin crawl. I have been on the NCDHHS website, and the Medicare.gov website, it's hard to believe what they allow to happen.
The most disheartening thing of all, is the family members are just willing to let it happen. Although some of the people we have spoken with, have information that could help, they will not come forward. We have reached out to almost any agency or person that would listen, and they all say the same thing. It takes more than the death of one elderly person, to get anything done about it. I have an opportunity now, to get the necessary attention from some very important people. I will go to them with what I have concerning my Mom. I hope it is enough to get them to look at what is happening. I am certain, that if I had more people willing to act, we could make things better for those still suffering in nursing homes. I am asking anyone who reads this, who has any information that could help, to come forward .
I personally know at least two people who are currently going through issues with nursing homes. I know they have knowledge, and can prove that their loved ones are not being cared for. I cant not understand how they can stay silent. Their parents, or a family member, are suffering terrible things at the hands of these people, yet they wont help. I can only hope that when their time comes, someone will care enough to help them.
Old people die, that is the mantra of the nursing home owners and managers. They leave out how they die, some from being dropped, given the wrong medication, or just because there was not enough staff to help. They simply" fail to thrive " or suffer from an" acute coronary arrhythmia ". No one ever checks the doctors cause of death, simply because "old people die".
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have a whole lot of faith in doctors. I cant tell you how many times I have avoided tragedy by asking the right questions, or questioning something the doctor was doing. Many times the doctors depend on some low level office clerk, to catch potential life threatening issues. That's simply not good enough. If you are a doctor and you are getting paid, do your job. Take the time to actually examine the patient, and get familiar with their medical history. Make sure that there are no potential medication reactions. If you have a patient that had there skull sawed open, expect problems, especially if they fall.
There is one doctor in Hendersonville North Carolina, that definitely has to many patients. Dr. Larry Joe Russell,he is the medical director at The Laurels of Hendersonville, and also has an office, where he sees patients. Dr. Russell is also the doctor at all the nursing homes in Henderson Count NC. At least the ones that accept Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Russell is also the registered agent for several other medical practices in Henderson County. Dr. Russell is also partners with the owners of SanStone Health and Rehabilitation.
How could one doctor keep up with all of those patients? Simple, doctor Russell has fourteen LPN's and one PA. My guess is that he never actually "sees" a patient. Although he was supposed to be Mom's doctor, the records prove that he never even saw her. How can a doctor, that has not even seen a patient, have the knowledge to sign the death certificate?
I am using Dr. Larry Joe Russell as an example, simply because I have personal knowledge about him from Moms medical records. The same goes for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, personal experience. Everything I have read, and my personal experience, indicates that this is the normal.
If you wish to share any information, email me at jaemark7@bellsouth.net, I will answer you promptly, and will keep any information in strict confidence, if you desire. I just need to know more about how they operate, in order to stop them. It takes more than one dead elderly person to get attention.
Merry Christmas, and if you still have your parents and grandparents, love and hold them, enjoy them while you have them. You never know when they may end up in the hands of a Dr. Russell, or Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation of their own.
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