Hospital Refuses To Help Woman, Police Arrest Her

Everyone here and I mean everyone is covered by Medicare, so you are able to get doctor and hospital treatment whenever needed, this is covered by taking about 1-2% tax from our paypacket which we do not miss as it is minimal in comparison with what we earn.
You can also join a private health fund which will cover you for a private hospital and extras like certain medications, physio, chiropractic, ambulance, and heaps more that I cant write them down here. This costs anywhere from $10 - $60 per week depending on what you want to be covered for, it is your choice. Our private system is like you are in a holiday resort, I had the unfortunate chance of a stay in a private hospital not long ago and the service, food, medical attention was top of the line.
Hope this gives you an idea, if anyone else as anything to add please do, as I am sure I have missed things, but basically this is our health care system.
That sounds like a good system. Why can't we have that. Half the country is already on government insurance, why not all of us?
 
That sounds like a good system. Why can't we have that. Half the country is already on government insurance, why not all of us?
Even people on welfare and single moms or people on disability pensions or old age pensions are all treated the same and have the same options as everyone else, there is no prejudice when it comes to our health system.

Some of the people above on pensions, welfare etc get further benefits as they are not on a higher paypacket as some.

No one misses out in our health system, but in saying that if you need elective surgery that is not life threatening you could be on a waiting list.
 
Have her call an ambulance, dearie.

That's another problem with the system; if it's free, you tend to overuse it.

You know how many times I've been to the ER in 58 years? Maybe twice

How many times have I been an inpatient in a hospital 2 births and 1 operation.

How many times do I go to the doctor per year? Maybe 3 times - that includes mammogram, pap smear and one Dr. visit per year (sickness)

I take care of myself, read medical books if I get sick, eat right, exercise and try not to do bad things like drink too much, etc.

I'm just saying people need to take charge of their own health up to a point, and the Dr. or ER should be there for the serious things.

The only thing is I wish I could get my own antibiotics when I need them, because I know by now when I need them. (usually sinus infection or urinary tract infection)

Not only do we have one of the LEAST EFFICIENT Medical Systems, we have one of the MOST EXPENSIVE. And alot of it is just waste -paperwork and redtape that has become so cumbersome that nurses can't even "nurse" anymore. Nor Dr's doctor. And I've worked in their offices plenty, so I do know how that has gotten.

The technology needs to be advanced to a more centralized computer system, where patients records can be easily accessed no matter where they go.

Well, I'm talking too much; the Medical System is just a real frustration to me right now; my husband has just gone through hundreds of thousands in a relatively short-term chemotherapy treatment, and we haven't even started the radiation. It's UNBELIEVABLE.

We are so fortunate that we have insurance; and I don't know what people do that don't have it. Go bankrupt I guess. How did I get off on this? :confused:
I have used ER plenty and have been hospitalized plenty too. I never get "ill" or "sick". Cannot remember when I had a cold or flu last. I take excellent care of myself, but I do get things like herniated cervical disks and small bowel obstructions LOL! I am thankful for my insurance every day.

I was in ER one night and there was a woman with bad abdominal pain. She got tired of waiting, so she called 911. the paramedics were compelled to come into ER and "transport" her back to the examining area ASAP.

My epileptic son has to have the most expensive medicine every day for the rest of his life. he cannot afford to be without insurance or the prescriptions will bury him.
 
Hope your health system improves, just cant believe it is the United States of America that have these problems as they are a leader in so many other fields.
 
They checked her over for abdominal pain, gave her a prescription - sounds to me too like she'd been cleared. Apparently they didn't find what was really wrong - but sadly that happens even to the wealthiest and most vocal patient. If they didn't really check her, then that's a problem, but sounds to me like she was checked. If she's asking to be rechecked when they've already done their best - I can understand a refusal there.
 
They checked her over for abdominal pain, gave her a prescription - sounds to me too like she'd been cleared. Apparently they didn't find what was really wrong - but sadly that happens even to the wealthiest and most vocal patient. If they didn't really check her, then that's a problem, but sounds to me like she was checked. If she's asking to be rechecked when they've already done their best - I can understand a refusal there.
I understand what you are saying, but if someone is that close to death wouldnt their obs be abnormal, just keeping her for observation for a few hours might have saved her life.
 
Hope your health system improves, just cant believe it is the United States of America that have these problems as they are a leader in so many other fields.
But I have to say, I had very serious surgery year before last and I would have only had it here in America with my doctor and no waiting list!
 
I understand what you are saying, but if someone is that close to death wouldnt their obs be abnormal, just keeping her for observation for a few hours might have saved her life.
Maybe, maybe not. Even with the best of care, we don't know all that much about the body. You can't keep everyone in for observation all of the time - there may not have been anything to indicate it was necessary.
 
Maybe, maybe not. Even with the best of care, we don't know all that much about the body. You can't keep everyone in for observation all of the time - there may not have been anything to indicate it was necessary.
Your right, its just hard hearing that someone down on their luck being treated the way this lady was, Im just a big softie.:)
 
okay
shazz - make room for me, i'm heading with my medical problems to australia lol....
In all seriousness, have you all heard of Michael Moore's newest, called Sicko? The docu deals with this issue......
 
okay
shazz - make room for me, i'm heading with my medical problems to australia lol....
In all seriousness, have you all heard of Michael Moore's newest, called Sicko? The docu deals with this issue......
Come on over timetravel we will look after you.
Okay, who is Michael Moore and what is Sicko,(me)hahahaha. :D
 
thank you shazz - packing my bags right now... Michael Moore did that loverly docudrama on our dear george DUBBA bush - believe it was called by the ol' ray bradbury title Farenheit 911......anywho, Sicko is being welcomed at the Cannes film festival....
 
thank you shazz - packing my bags right now... Michael Moore did that loverly docudrama on our dear george DUBBA bush - believe it was called by the ol' ray bradbury title Farenheit 911......anywho, Sicko is being welcomed at the Cannes film festival....
Sorry tt but Im still none the wiser, never heard of the docudrama or Sicko are they related (only joking about them being related). Seriously havent heard of any of the above, dont get into American Politics and havent heard of Sicko, please enlighten me.
 
The autopsy failed to reveal a cause of death, according to the AP:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5306234

They are awaiting toxicology results.

If the cause of her death was obscure enough that it was not found on autopsy, I am not surprised that nothing was found in the ER to indicate that she was about to die. The autopsy findings contradict the family and boyfriend's assertions in this article (link below), where they stated that she was bleeding from the mouth and that she said "something popped inside of her." Bleeding from the mouth or anywhere else in the GI tract would have been seen on autopsy. Death due to "something popping" like a perforated ulcer or ruptured aneurysm also would have been discovered.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kingharbor15may15,0,3308136,full.story?coll=la-home-center

Also note that the hospital kept her all day on May 8. There have been posts here faulting the hospital for failing to observe her for a period of time. According to the family, the patient went to the hospital on the morning of May 8, but was not released until that evening.

Additional details in the second article linked above indicate that the hospital had diagnosed her with gallstones and treated her for this multiple times. I would suspect that her symptoms, complaints, exam, and test results on May 8 did not point to anything else, given that the doctors gave her a prescription for pain medication and arranged a follow up appointment for her.

The mistake that was made was failing to render assistance when she returned yet again. It's hard for people that don't work in the medical field to understand, and it is a strong reminder for those of us who are medical professionals not to dismiss a patient's complaints. However, having worked in ERs myself, I realize just how many patients there are who are drug-seeking or somatizing and how easy it is to make this mistake. Most county hospital ERs in large cities see at least one drug seeker a day, if not more. It is a very common problem and gives the ER physicians a suspicious mindset when dealing with repeat patients who complain of severe pain without any exam findings to back it up, especially when the patient has a history of drug abuse. I'm not saying it's right, but you have to understand the context.

This article makes it clear that the patient was returned to the hospital by LE after she became unresponsive, just as I suspected. So I think we can stop saying that LE failed to obtain medical attention for her when they realized something was wrong. The article states that hospital personnel were unable to revive her.

I am going to make the point again that we should wait for the facts before making assumptions about what was and wasn't done for this patient, or stating that people should be charged with murder. I realize that this is a message board and we are discussing our opinions, but often I see incorrect assumptions made that propagate down the topic and mutate into "facts."
 
I think this board tends to see it all. We see good cops and bad cops. We see amazing, heroic parents and those who don't even deserve the title.

We can look at a situation from all sides, and also realize there might be more to the story. In this case, people brought up from the very beginning the circumstances of both ER providers and LE. It's plausible that they could be callous and incompetent, or jaded and suspicious or totally caring and well meaning, but just made the wrong call on one day. It's excellent that the issue is examined from all angles.
 
Plus, waiting for all the facts would mean that the discussion is over before it begins. You move forward with the info you have, and examine it, asking more questions.
 
Plus, waiting for all the facts would mean that the discussion is over before it begins. You move forward with the info you have, and examine it, asking more questions.

Fine to ask questions, but with medicine you must have all your facts before jumping to conclusions. If you go and make alot of erroneous assumptions or conclusions, "it's fun to talk and 'guess'", but it does waste alot of time and effort. The human body is like an amazing puzzle that all works together miraculously, and when something goes wrong, it can be a huge process of elimination to finally find the diagnosis. Often patients do die before it can all be figured out, especially if they have not been regularly to a doctor or specialist, and have thorough medical records with them.

It sounds like this patient did have a "history", tho', and they made a judgment based on this.

That's interesting that the autopsy showed nothing, yet they said she bled from the mouth. Something is just not true.

Now checking toxicology; bet they find something there. (I'm thinking an indigent version of Anna Nicole?)
 
Thanks MSM, your post has answered a lot of questions that have been asked in this thread, and I will put my hand up and say I presumed, but the autopsy has not given how she died, if you or anyone find out please keep us informed.
 
Woman at King-Harbor died of perforated bowel

By Charles Ornstein, Times Staff Writer
June 2, 2007


A 43-year-old woman who writhed in pain for 45 minutes on the emergency room lobby floor of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital died of a perforated bowel, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said late Friday

Neither hospital staff nor other patients attempted to assist her as she lay dying.

The coroner's office labeled the death of Edith Isabel Rodriguez on May 9 as an accident and said it had turned over its findings to the district attorney, the Sheriff's Department and the county Department of Health Services, which are investigating the death.

Other factors contributing to Rodriguez's death were a bowel obstruction and the effects of prescription drugs and methamphetamine use.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/l...ll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
65
Guests online
2,370
Total visitors
2,435

Forum statistics

Threads
590,011
Messages
17,928,964
Members
228,038
Latest member
shmoozie
Back
Top