Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor

[Emma]

Texas Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor - NYTimes.com

KERMIT, Tex. — It occurred to Anne Mitchell as she was writing the letter that she might lose her job, which is why she chose not to sign it. But it was beyond her conception that she would be indicted and threatened with 10 years in prison for doing what she knew a nurse must: inform state regulators that a doctor at her rural hospital was practicing bad medicine.

Mrs. Mitchell counters that as an administrative nurse, she had a professional obligation to protect patients from what she saw as a pattern of improper prescribing and surgical procedures — including a failed skin graft that Dr. Arafiles performed in the emergency room, without surgical privileges. He also sutured a rubber tip to a patient’s crushed finger for protection, an unconventional remedy that was later flagged as inappropriate by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Charges against a second nurse, Vickilyn Galle, who helped Mrs. Mitchell write the letter, were dismissed at the prosecutor’s discretion last week.

The case has been infused with the small-town politics of this wind-whipped city of 5,200 in the heart of the Permian Basin, 10 miles from the New Mexico border. The seeming conflicts of interest are as abundant as the cattle grazing among the pump jacks and mesquite.

When the medical board notified Dr. Arafiles of the anonymous complaint, he protested to his friend, the Winkler County sheriff, that he was being harassed. The sheriff, an admiring patient who credits the doctor with saving him after a heart attack, obtained a search warrant to seize the two nurses’ work computers and found the letter.

What a load of shit.

 

[FireGod]

From the information in the article it seems that the nurse was compelled to do the right thing. It is a sorry state of affairs that to do the right thing one must consider the possibility of going to jail and ending a career. Hmm maybe there is a bigger problem here and this is a symptom?

 

[uscitizen]

It is Texas folks.

 

[random3434]

This is why people are afraid to be "whistle blowers"-because they could lose their jobs or more.

Corrupt people have many connections for some odd reason............

I hope the truth comes out in all of this!

 

[Gatekeeper]

This is why people are afraid to be "whistle blowers"-because they could lose their jobs or more.

Corrupt people have many connections for some odd reason............

I hope the truth comes out in all of this!

Gives credence to that old cliche'

1. It's who you know, not what you know"
2. It's not what you know, it's what you can prove"
The variations are many, but everyone gets the idea.

In summation: "Money Talks & Bullshit Walks"

 

[xotoxi]

Texas Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor - NYTimes.com

What a load of shit.

Looks like that bitch went a little too far and stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been!

Let's hope she goes to jail for a REAL long time!!!

GO DOCS!!!

 

[RetiredGySgt]

It is Texas folks.

You keep saying that like it means something, the last thread you made that claim in you never came back with one Iota of proof it was systemic to the State.

Small town politics happen EVERY WHERE.

When I lived in Augusta Georgia the city and County politicians were upset that a democrat that wanted to run for sheriff stopped calling himself a Democrat when the party would not let him run, he won. The local officials then merged the County and city and claimed that the Sheriff had no authority to run patrols and was soley in charge of the jail because the city had a police force. This got challenged in court and the Sheriff won. Then they accused him of embezzling funds because he spent 11k On a Patrol car for the Sheriffs deputies. That too failed.

Here in Jacksonville NC the local sheriff, also a democrat had a run in with the local prosecutor also a democrat. The prosecutor charged him with tampering with a crime scene for the horrible act of actually doing his job and investigating a murder. They appointed an out of County DA to do the investigation and possible trial. The appointed DA was a close personal friend of the local DA. He had every intention of filing charges until the State stepped in and ordered the bullshit stopped. The State Police did their own independent investigation and ruled all the Sheriff did was investigate a crime scene.

Neither of these places are Texas.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Texas Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor - NYTimes.com

What a load of shit.

Looks like that bitch went a little too far and stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been!

Let's hope she goes to jail for a REAL long time!!!

GO DOCS!!!

Ohh look a RETARD. But then who would expect another Doctor with out any facts to do anything but support a doctor. That is why in some cases bad doctors stay doctors till they kill enough people to get noticed.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

I think that Sheriff is more likely to see jail time than the nurse. That is way out of line

 

[random3434]

Texas Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor - NYTimes.com

What a load of shit.

Looks like that bitch went a little too far and stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been!

Let's hope she goes to jail for a REAL long time!!!

GO DOCS!!!

Ohh look a RETARD. But then who would expect another Doctor with out any facts to do anything but support a doctor. That is why in some cases bad doctors stay doctors till they kill enough people to get noticed.

Sarcasm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I think that Sheriff is more likely to see jail time than the nurse. That is way out of line

Takes a DA to bring charges so it is not JUST the Sheriff.

 

[xotoxi]

Looks like that bitch went a little too far and stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been!

Let's hope she goes to jail for a REAL long time!!!

GO DOCS!!!

Ohh look a RETARD. But then who would expect another Doctor with out any facts to do anything but support a doctor. That is why in some cases bad doctors stay doctors till they kill enough people to get noticed.

Sarcasm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RetardedGySgt at it again!

 

[Gatekeeper]

What about the Nurses Code of Ethics?
Specifically

The nurse acts to safeguard the client and the public when health care and safety are affected by the incompetent, unethical or illegal practice of any person.

OF ANY PERSON---Wouldn't that include a 'Bad Doctor"

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

 

[Baruch Menachem]

What about the Nurses Code of Ethics?
Specifically

The nurse acts to safeguard the client and the public when health care and safety are affected by the incompetent, unethical or illegal practice of any person.

OF ANY PERSON---Wouldn't that include a 'Bad Doctor"

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

Under that criteria, she should report the DA and the sheriff as well.

 

[Gatekeeper]

What about the Nurses Code of Ethics?
Specifically

The nurse acts to safeguard the client and the public when health care and safety are affected by the incompetent, unethical or illegal practice of any person.

OF ANY PERSON---Wouldn't that include a 'Bad Doctor"

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

Under that criteria, she should report the DA and the sheriff as well.

That is almost a certainty, the DA and sheriff gonna have their own legal issues with this case. So far the nurses have done no wrong, so far imho as far as my 2¢ goes.

 

[Xenophon]

Next time, use a typewriter!

 

[uscitizen]

Let see if those Texicans will boycott that Dr.

I will bet they don't.

 

[strollingbones]

as long as you allow the ama to police itself...you will have this...they circle the wagons and protect each other to the hilt and could care less if a few nurses get their licenses revoked....by and by a lot of doctors suck and their peers know it...but they all just cover it up....peers...hospital boards....insurance ....amazing...people will look into law suits and never realize most are settled and not made public....

 

[xotoxi]

as long as you allow the ama to police itself...you will have this...they circle the wagons and protect each other to the hilt and could care less if a few nurses get their licenses revoked....by and by a lot of doctors suck and their peers know it...but they all just cover it up....peers...hospital boards....insurance ....amazing...people will look into law suits and never realize most are settled and not made public....

Exactly.

That reminds me...I need to make a monitary donation to this doctor's defense fund. How much do you think? $1,000? $5,000?

 

[uscitizen]

as long as you allow the ama to police itself...you will have this...they circle the wagons and protect each other to the hilt and could care less if a few nurses get their licenses revoked....by and by a lot of doctors suck and their peers know it...but they all just cover it up....peers...hospital boards....insurance ....amazing...people will look into law suits and never realize most are settled and not made public....

Exactly.

That reminds me...I need to make a monitary donation to this doctor's defense fund. How much do you think? $1,000? $5,000?

You mean offense fund?
Heck go all the way and just have his lawyers bill you.