The headline on the Huffington Post stings. “Count the Dead From Medical Harm,” writes Rosemary Gibson, author of Wall of Silence: The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes That Kill and Injure Millions of Americans. Her research has shown a disturbing lack of transparency in the hospital industry, and an abundance of it is done intentionally.
Nurses in Minnesota were successful in 2013 in creating a small crack in our own state’s Wall of Silence by advancing legislation that requires hospitals to reveal on a quarterly basis their core staffing levels. Starting in January, 2014, those reports will be posted publicly on the Minnesota Hospital Quality Reports website at http://www.mnhospitalquality.org/. Patients and families are encouraged to check this site frequently to assess patterns in hospital staffing.
But the report is one small step in the amount of life-saving measures that can and should be done. We need a minimum standard of care so every patient, at any hour in any hospital in Minnesota can be assured enough nurses are on duty to deliver the care that is needed.
Please sign and share the petition. Or share your own story.
“Secrecy is unraveling the fabric of the health care system. The dishonor of the deceased is taking its toll. There is only one way out. Count the dead and the injured. Honor them as we would all wish to be honored.” – Rosemary Gibson
