CBS News finds medical boards often fail to discipline doctors for malpractice

A year-long CBS News investigation has found that the system of state medical boards responsible for disciplining doctors who repeatedly injure their patients often fails to discipline those doctors, leaving the public in the dark. Jim Axelrod traveled to Indiana to examine this system of state medical boards that many in the field say protects doctors instead of patients.

[darrenfonzseau]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, I AM SO HAPPY to see folks REPORTING the TRUTH now.

[incognito]

YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED AT THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN, WITH NO CONSEQUENCES, IN EVERY STATE. EVERY ONE. TRUST NO ONE.

[SmileyD]

Especially in Idaho where there is not a malpractice law in place to protect patients. A man I know can no longer walk because of a doctor and he has been refused help by Idaho and Idaho medical board 😕 I don't trust doctors or medical industry unfortunately

[jennifermiller]

My husband is one of those people who is now paralyzed from the waist down from an Indiana doctor (anesthesiologist). He has burning nerve damage below his waist. Can’t walk. Massive bowel problems. It’s been 15 years. He was a tennis coach and tv/radio teacher at a high school here in Floyd County, In. He went for a hernia surgery and came out burning with pain and couldn’t walk. The “doctor” Art Duncan messed up the epidural but did nothing about it. They sent him home after the surgery. It goes on and on. We had a trial but didn’t get a red cent. He had been sued before too. Had a great lawyer. 15 years my husband has been like this.
It was done at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany in October of 2005, across from Louisville Ky. The hospital is now Baptist Hospital Floyd. It’s been a nightmare for our whole family. Thanks for listening.

[mamabear]

I hate to hear this, and now we are on our own, without any medicine or recourse

[johntatman]

The medical profession is like the Catholic Church protecting their own. This will not change until the liability ins companies get tired of paying huge law suits. If you find yourself on a jury in a law suit give the victim as much money as you can, it's the only say patients have in the matter.

[louveniarichard]

My husband died as a result of malpractice in a hospital in Baton Rouge La. His breathing tube was dislodged while turning, his arm was full of blisters and skin loss, from IV infiltration, Doctor wrote wrong information in medical records, test ran on wrong patient according to medical records, dialysis was delayed until it was too late. etc. According to the medical review panel which was made up by three doctors, one who was affiliated with the hospital we suing, another last minute one who didn't pay much attention to the facts we presented and another one we chose because he was recommended did not even participate in the meeting. But, the panel ruled in favor of the defendants even though one nurse license was suspended. They did nothing wrong, the panel said. Now we have 90 days to find a lawyer, and so far, everyone is turning us down. The medical review panel is a joke.

[jillschafer]

I think another side of this story needs to be told . If a Dr makes medical error they should be hold responsible, punished, reprimanded. BUT what is happening is the Drs who are being punished are the ones who are speaking out and telling the dangerous Drs or safety concerns. The Medical bd will attack them . Silence them . This is a pattern of what is going on, and most Drs are not aware. This happens with nurses too . Try reporting a dangerous Dr, or safety concern, and you will be fired, blackballed, reported to your corrupt board of nursing and never work again, in many fields. (when laws protect those who speak up only then will it change . When boards stop protecting hospitals, because those on boards are appointed by corrupt politicians, and some are on staff at those hospitals. Only then will it change. Gail King should know this, Oprah just offered a vacation to a DR who spoke up at corrupt hospital YUMA MEDICAL CENTER, YUMA AZ who fired an ER doc in the middle of a pandemic. For speaking out about covid. But Drs who cause harm are impaired still there .

[empressbeeb]

This is so sad. What about the local examiners offices? They play in it too

[gooseman]

I'm a victim of malpractice, and currently am still trying to address the problem. They are protected by a steel curtain! I'm a plumber for over 15 yrs and had to apply for disability. I have to live with my mother and survive on a fraction of what I was making per month. I'm a citizen of Pennsylvania, and I lost complete function of my left hand. The surgeries were done without my consent, Pennsylvania law calls that battery! But I will not give up!

[momentswithyahya]

A doctor out here, on the West coast, caused me to have chronic nerve pain with bowel issues after a gynecological surgery No lawyer would take my case.

The doctor’s name was Ralph Mayer. He’s a Uro-gynecologist

All I could do was leave a bad Google review and hope to spare any female, if pain, that will take my warning serious.

[sojotruth]

Just as with law enforcement, doctors should have independent/ civilians groups, review boards, checking up on them, you can't expect them to govern themselves or corruption will abound.

[aracelis]

True, i was misdiagnosed with endometriosis and I was pushed to get a hysterectomy. The radiologist doing the ultrasounds on pregnant patients is still working for the same practice in Dallas TX. 😢 it is devastating to know that more women are still being harmed. 😭

[VanessaMitchell-ic]

I'm glade the truth has finally come out.

[CynthiaRiosTV]

My father died before the pandemic in NYC. Weil Cornell murdered my father.

[dannyarmstrong]

My wife went to the hospital in big spring texas with a broken neck and a broken back. They sent her home...
She died and was revived three days later in San Angelo...

[anonymousandcool]

Horrible doctors I have encountered who mistreated so many are somehow still in practice. I'm honestly not surprised by anything anymore. Malpractice suits are not easy for patients to win. We hear about this absolutely vile cases like the ones in this story... but what about all the DAMAGING bad advice doctors are giving their patients that have a cause/effect relationship with the patient eventually dying? (I.e. refusing to address a problem that could be life threatening... constantly dismissing patients. Patients who LATER find out they had something major like cancer or an autoimmune disease or an infection that turned septic. I almost died from sepsis because my doctor refused to address my UTI. But could I prove malpractice? no. SAD.

[MR-xlni]

Insurance companies have to work for the patients who pay the premiums. If they don't it shows they are hand in glove with the medical community and especially the doctors who are frauds.

[crispycruiser]

3 years ago I was disabled by medical malpractice at 31 years old. A urologist gave me Ciprofloxacin, a last resort antibiotic reserved for life threatening infections, as a prophylactic without having any idea what was wrong with me. I was crippled 3 days later and still haven’t recovered. I required 5 ankle surgeries for various tendon ruptures. Despite the FDA revising its recommendations that these drugs be used as a last resort, it is objectively and empirically malpractice to give it as a precaution if an injury then occurs. The Florida medical board cleared him of wrongdoing and killed my chances of a lawsuit. It’s a country club. A good old boys club. This is a fraternity and you can’t expect them to prosecute the people they play golf with on weekends. Instead they help the colleague bury the body. Your body. Oaths to do no harm be damned

[ariarivera]

I see that situation repeatedly happening here in Florida.