Medical malpractice

Stanford Medical Clinic, attached to Stanford Medical School, where Phyllis Gardner is a professor, has, together with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, been hit with a $70 million judgment for "malpractice". It was a result of dismissing patients quickly in order to save money. Here is Phyllis' account of the case:

"Here is a case where a jury appropriately, in my opinion, awarded a large sum of money for malpractice. Note that the $70M is actually a much smaller figure when inflation is not taken into account. This is the tragic story of a missed PKU diagnosis (due to Stanford performing the test on the newborn only 4 hours after birth, while it should be done 12 hours or later after birth - I am sure that happened when we were discharging patients the same day of giving birth to cut medical costs!). The pediatrician (who is highly regarded) at Palo Alto Medical Clinic failed to heed the parents comments on lack of developmental delay, and then the UCSF pediatrician called for a urine test but then did not order it. The diagnosis was not made until the child was several years old and had suffered irreversible brain damage. This is tragic, since it could all have been avoided with proper testing and institution of a proper diet without protein. In these types of cases, awards that cover long-term care of the individual are appropriate".

Palo Alto Weekly, 10/01/03 --Stanford, Medical Clinic hit by $70 million judgment A jury has awarded a brain-damaged Redwood City boy more than $70 million. Palo Alto Medical Clinic and Stanford Hospital were named in the suit. KNBC-TV (Los Angeles), KRXI-TV (Reno, Nev.) and all local TV stations aired segments on the judgment.