In Maine, a high-performing state, most hospitals – more than 70 percent – perform at the highest levels of safety. But in Texas, only 28 percent of hospitals perform that well, according to a national panel of hospital safety experts.
A major new study from the Dallas Morning News confirms that in Texas, preventable complication rates vary widely from individual hospital to hospital.
The Texas Patient Safety Check revealed Dallas Regional Medical Center to have the safest record in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the second safest in the state, with a low rate of preventable complications. Conversely, John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth ranked the lowest in the state. There, patients are almost four times as likely to experience a preventable complication than they are at Dallas Regional Medical Center.
The study also reports that when taken as a group, North Texas hospitals perform significantly worse in preventing complications than area hospitals in other parts of the state.
Preventable complications include bedsores, infections and falls.
Patient safety advocates insist that patients and their families can take steps to help prevent complications and medical errors. Initiatives like “Speak Up!” from The Joint Commission encourage patients to pay attention to the medical care that they receive.
Patients are advised to keep track of the dosage of and timing of medication, to ensure that members of the medical staff wash their hands before treatment and to speak up when something does not seem right.
Concerned health care consumers can refer to the Texas Patient Safety Check through the Dallas Morning News. Additionally, the publication offers a Hospital Safety Check, a searchable online tool acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal for its safety ratings of hospitals nationwide.
At The Hale Law Firm, we have helped thousands of clients successfully prosecute their personal injury claims including auto accidents, wrongful death, dangerous products, brain injuries, burn injuries, and defective medical devices. Clients depend on their personal injury attorneys for guidance and legal advice across a broad range of personal injury accidents. To learn more, visit http://www.hale911.com/ or call 972.351.0000.
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The Tarrant County District Attorney claims that the young Texan did receive a fair trial. While both cases involved intoxication manslaughter, they differ in their details. Couch was 16 years old when his accident occurred. Adams was 28 when he killed a police officer on duty. As such, Couch was tried as a juvenile, and Adams was tried as an adult. To date, Adams has not admitted he committed the offense, despite court records indicating that his blood alcohol content was .11 at the time of the accident. Accordingly, he has been denied parole.
As the diversity between these two cases exemplifies, no two DUI, intoxicated manslaughter or other personal injury cases are alike. Prison terms will differ based on specific circumstances; each case is individually tried on its facts. Adams’ mother may feel her son is being unduly punished, but an objective third party must consider all the facts before reaching conclusions on the case. For this reason alone, it is smart to hire a qualified personal injury attorney to handle such serious cases.
Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury lawyer or help with an auto accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, or burn injury case, contact Lee, Gober and Reyna by visiting http://www.lgrlawfirm.com or calling 512.478.8080
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