St. Mary's May Be Negligent in Baby Deaths, According to Local Lawyers

    WEST PALM BEACH, FL, June 09, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A blistering investigation by CNN into one local area hospital strongly suggests evidence of negligence by the doctors of the pediatric cardiac program, according to local personal injury lawyer Spencer T. Kuvin, Esq.

The story of baby deaths at St. Mary's by CNN last week shows that infant mortality rates for babies and children who have undergone complex cardiac surgeries at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, are as much as three times higher than the national average for similar programs. Since 2011, at least nine babies have died from surgical complications, resulting in a mortality rate of more than 12%.

Though St. Mary's spokespersons and its CEO, Dan Carbone, called CNN's calculations "misleading", and have defended the chief pediatric surgeon, Dr. Michael Black, the hospital has in recent months stepped back from performing the riskiest and most complex types of pediatric open-heart surgery.

Tragically, however, only two days after the CNN released its story, a hospital spokesperson confirmed that another infant had died following cardiac surgical complications.

"Many people in our region are shocked by this revelation," said Kuvin, "and I think many more are thankful that CNN ran this story. The investigative journalism that went into this story is a force the hospital must reckon with."

Kuvin cites one set of documents, obtained by CNN via a Freedom of Information Act and released in the investigative story, which seems to suggest that St. Mary's program is inadequately staffed, and unfit to be performing risky pediatric surgical procedures, like open heart surgery on infants and children.

The documents are the official reports filed with the Florida Department of Heath by a panel composed of the state's best and brightest pediatric cardiologists, after they were tasked with visiting St. Mary's pediatric surgical unit for a voluntary program evaluation. Among the biggest concerns detailed in the report by the panel's chairman, Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs, a Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Johns Hopkins University, asserts that the program is not fit to be performing complex operations, or to be performing on babies less than six months old.

"The reports filed by the panel of peer experts were filed with the Department of Health in June of 2014. The experts warned that the unit should not be performing these procedures, but St. Mary's doesn't seem to have any plan to slow down," Kuvin said.

Complex cardiac surgeries can cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1,000,000 each, according to Kuvin. That kind of money is alluring to hospitals.

Kuvin continued. "This story is a sad one, because it's one we see as medical malpractice and personal injury lawyers all the time: profits over patient safety. This is a classic example where a private, for-profit hospital chain hastily launched a surgical program that it now appears they are just too inexperienced to run, effectively putting profits over patient safety. And parents have lost their children because of it."

"Any time we have a case involving the death of a child, there's an unimaginable sadness that we all experience together. As personal injury lawyers, it's our job to seek recourse in the law for any potential negligence that might have caused that death. In this way, we are providing some relief for the families who undergo this horrible, and possibly avoidable, tragedy," said Craig Goldenfarb, owner of the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A., which employs Spencer Kuvin as Director of Litigation and Lead Trial Attorney. "If any of these infant deaths occurred as a result of negligence, we want to know about it. We can help those families."

Parents of newborns, infants, or children who were treated by the St. Mary's pediatric surgical team any time after 2011, and who subsequently died afterwards, are encouraged to seek legal advice from a personal injury lawyer to find out if the potential for a medical malpractice claim exists.

To interview or request further comment from Spencer Kuvin or Craig Goldenfarb, please contact Tom Copeland at 561-727-3140 or [email protected].

The Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A.
The Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. is a personal injury firm in West Palm Beach, Florida. The firm handles cases of medical malpractice, wrongful death, and nursing home abuse or neglect in the state of Florida. More information can be found online at http://www.800goldlaw.com.

# # #