South Carolina Bill Demands More Cardiologists and Nurses at Hospitals
March 11, 2007 by Lei
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
A bill governing the staffing of hospitals in South Carolina has been introduced to the State Legislature. It will require that hospitals performing any kind of invasive heart procedure, such as cardiac catherization, have a cardiologist onsite 24 hours a day. The bill will also make it illegal for hospitals to hire temporary nurses, even if they are unable to hire full-time nurses because they’re unavailable.
State Rep. Ted Vick introduced the bill which is named after his aunt, Ann S. Perdue. She died when a stent that was inserted via catheterization caused an artery to rupture and no cardiologist was on site. A medical negligence suit has been filed against Providence Hospital, her doctors, and her nurses.
Hospitals and advocates are representing two sides of the issue – costs and efficiency vs. patient safety. While I agree with Helen W. Haskell of Mothers Against Medical Error that no one should have to wait to see a doctor, the reality is that we all have to wait sometimes. Resources are limited.
The recommended “door-to-balloon time” between a person’s heart attack to balloon-angioplasty is 90 minutes and if a qualified cardiac team is available to treat a patient, should it matter if a cardiologist is onsite and whether or not the nurse is a full-time member of staff? Since my experience in the hospital is limited, I hope healthcare professionals reading this will offer their opinion!
TheState.com, March 11, 2007
Bill S. 492, Ann S. Perdue Heart Patient Safety Act
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Tags: ann s perdue, ted vick, south carolina, legislature, heart, heart disease, catheterization, healthcare, health care, diseases, illness, health, medicine
