Center for Ambulatory Surgery Violations Highlight Major Safety Concerns

The Center for Ambulatory Surgery (CAS) in Westport, Connecticut was fined and its license to operate suspended until the state’s Department of Health (DPH) deems it compliant with health care facility regulations. In May of this year it received numerous health violations and previously was cited in 2009.

The surgery center was found to have “used and soiled” surgical instruments, did not thoroughly conduct pre- and post-operative exams of patients by nurses, and did not have steps in place to ensure patient and surgical site identification. During its unannounced visit, the DPH found violations with 20 patients that were under the CAS’ care and receiving liposuctions, face-lifts, and other surgical procedures. They also had a messy recovery room for patients, used expired cleansing solutions, and did not adequately track infections. The DPH cited the center for not having proper credential information on file for its nurses and doctors and failed to hold routine meetings of the company’s board. And the CAS did not maintain a safe, sanitary environment as it failed to meet fire, lighting and electrical, gas, and generator standards in case of an emergency.

The Connecticut Department of Health’s Facility Licensing and Investigations Section does conduct random investigations of health care facilities. That is how they discovered the center’s wrongdoing, and now have given them a consent order where they must hire a clinical consulting firm to help it evaluate its systems and quality assurance practices. Part of its two-year probation will involve quarterly meetings with the DPH and the CAS’ administrator, nurse supervisor, and medical director.

When health care professionals fail to fulfill their duty to care for a patient, there can be serious consequences when an injury or wrongful death occurs. Mistakes or recklessness before, during, or after a procedure can have lifelong consequences for a patient who put their trust into a professional. From failing to diagnose, prescription errors, shoddy medical instruments, and surgery errors, the list of potential threats to an individual is lengthy. The state’s DPH does track death or serious injury associated with surgery in its adverse events report. But an institution must be willing to report themselves, and thus it still mandates the need for unannounced inspections.

If a patient becomes a victim of medical malpractice, they have the right to seek legal counsel to look into their case, medical records, and investigate the wrongdoing. The Connecticut medical malpractice attorney team at Stratton Faxon is accomplished in this type of law and received the distinction of The Best Lawyers in America this year. They have upheld their client’s rights to a complete and full recovery of lifetime benefits and won tens of millions of dollars for them in the courtroom and through settlement.

For more information:
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Alexandra Reed writes for Connecticut personal injury law firm, Stratton Faxon. Contact Stratton Faxon to speak with a Connecticut accident lawyer about your personal injury, wrongful death, or Connecticut malpractice case. To learn more, visit Strattonfaxon.com.

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