Florida caretakers leave residents to suffer

In the series, Neglected to Death, Miami Herald reporters Michael Sallah, Rob Barry and Carol Marbin Miller revealed that "caretakers in assisted-living facilities across Florida" were neglecting patients of proper medical attention and basic care. The improper care has led to the deaths of dozens of residents. The Herald obtained "confidential records" from the Department of Children & Families that documented the deaths of "70 people who died in the past eight years from the actions of their caregivers." Many of the cases are overlooked, and the caretakers are rarely held accountable for the deaths of the residents.

Reports dating back to the early 1990s indicate that top city officials were aware of high radon levels in the basement of Ann Arbor's city hall where many police officers worked for years. Measures were put in place, however, failed to eradicate the problem. The levels of radon, which is a radioactive gas that can cause serious health problems, were found to be "far above amounts posing cancer risks." Two police officers who worked in the basement have since died from cancer, and many members of the police offer union believe the deaths are linked to the radon exposure.

"Drilling Down," a series by The New York Times, explores the the risks of natural-gas drilling, along with efforts to regulate the industry. "The relatively new drilling method — known as high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking — carries significant environmental risks." For each well the process can create over a million gallons of wastewater ladden with toxins, and EPA documents reviewed by The Times indicate that the risks are greater than previously thought. Many companies have been recycling the wastewater created by the hydrofracking process, but these efforts do not eliminate the health and environmental risks associated with this type of natural-gas drilling. The Times is posting the significant documents used in the reporting of these stories.

A California Watch report reveals that facilities managed by California hospital chain Prime Healthcare are reporting unusually high malnutrition rates in its Medicare patients. Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. has reported that "16.1 percent of its Medicare patients 65 and older suffered from kwashiorkor, according to a California Watch analysis of state health data. That’s 70 times the state average of 0.2 percent."  Kwashiorkor is a form of malnutrition that "almost exclusively afflicts impoverished children in developing countries, especially during famines, experts say." Federal records show that such a diagnosis in Medicare patients can entitle the hospital to a bonus worth thousands of dollars.  Prime Healthcare is already under investigation for allegedly overbilling Medicare for a reported outbreak of  septicemia infections.  "In interviews and e-mails, Prime officials said their billing practices are legal and proper, and they insist the kwashiorkor reports are accurate, a reflection of how seriously the company takes the problem of malnutrition among the elderly."

Michael Berens, of The Seattle Times, uncovered the hidden cost of elder placement agencies that promise to match seniors to long-term care facilities - for free. Elder placement is a national multi-million
dollar industry with no rules and zero oversight. Seniors are steered
only to facilities that agree to pay hefty commissions. Most placement
companies fail to screen for past violations. The Times tracked 143
cases in which seniors were victimized after companies placed them in
adult family homes, or other long-term care facilities, that had a
record of substandard care, including fatal neglect. This story is part
of an on-going series, Seniors for Sale, that previously found some
adult homes marketed the frail and vulnerable as commodities.

In an ongoing investigation into problems at Parkland Hospital, Brooks Egerston of The Dallas Morning News reports on a botched knee surgery that ultimately led to an amputation. The surgery was performed by a doctor in training. According to a patient safety report by the hospital, these outcomes aren't uncommon. "'We harm two patients a day in a significant way,' says the report by Parkland's patient safety officer, Dr. Angelique Ramirez. It covers patients from October 2008 through December 2009 who suffered 'prolongation of hospital stay, need for ICU care, permanent harm, or death.'"

The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) spent months going through individual case files at the Charleston County Probate Court to learn what was happening to the savings of elderly incapacitated persons. Reporter Doug Pardue discovered a court that was set up to protect vulnerable elderly persons but often helped drain their estates throught court-approved fees to lawyers, guardians and conservators.

A report for CNN by Alex Quade explores the struggles of veterans suffering with combat-related health issues as they try to reintegrate into civilian life following service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  "War veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury and their families say military commanders, policy-makers, health care providers, and communities need to take more steps to help make their transition into the civilian community seamless." Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey recently acknowledged that the military is "too bureaucratic" when it comes to the handling and reintegration of its war veterans.

A ProPublica investigation into the state of dialysis care in the United States found "patients commonly receive treatment in settings that are unsanitary and prone to perilous lapses in care. Regulators have few tools and little will to enforce quality standards. Industry consolidation has left patients with fewer choices of provider. The government has withheld critical data about clinics' performance from patients, the very people who need it most. Meanwhile, the two corporate chains that dominate the dialysis-care system are consistently profitable, together making about $2 billion in operating profits a year." For the investigation, ProPublica spent more than a year reviewing inspection reports and conducting interviews with patients, doctors, advocates, policy makers and other experts.

ProPublica, NPR, PBS's Nightly Business Report, the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Consumer Reports teamed up for "Dollars for Doctors," an investigative project that found a hundreds of doctors being paid to promote pharmaceuticals have a history of misconduct.  "Their misconduct included inappropriately prescribing drugs, providing poor care or having sex with patients.  Some of the doctors even lost their licenses.  More than 40 have received FDA warning for research misconduct, lost hospital privileges or been convicted of crimes.  And at least 20 more have had two or more malpractice judgments or settlements."