That said, after reading this opinion, I have -- accurately or not -- a keen sense that I'd rather not go to Methodist Hospital in Sacramento if I'm ever in the area and in the midst of a cardiac emergency. Here's a brief recitation of facts -- which are even labelled "undisputed facts," I might add, so they're presumably at least somewhat accurate -- from the opinion:
"On March 9, 2019, at 7:28 a.m., decedent was brought by ambulance to the
emergency department at Methodist Hospital. She had a history of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, and she presented with shortness of breath. A chest x-ray and a CT
scan, however, indicated decedent had an aortic dissection. She quickly decompressed
and was intubated.
Dr. Michael Brandon, the treating emergency physician, worked to have decedent
transferred out as quickly as possible. Two cardiovascular surgeons he consulted with
believed the dissection was not the most pressing issue, so Dr. Brandon focused on the
fact that, given changes in decedent’s electrocardiogram (EKG) and other symptoms,
decedent was most likely having a heart attack (myocardial infarction). He believed
decedent needed a cardiac catheterization, a procedure that Methodist Hospital did not
have the capability to perform.
Dr. Brandon spoke with defendant, Dr. Singh, an on-call interventional
cardiologist at Mercy General Hospital. Dr. Singh initially agreed that decedent needed
acute catheterization, but upon learning of decedent’s elevated creatinine and other
conditions, he concluded decedent would not be a candidate for the procedure. He
offered to consult on decedent’s case if she were transferred to Mercy General. But
before decedent could be transferred and Dr. Singh could consult on the case, an
intensivist (an ICU doctor) had to accept decedent’s transfer. Dr. Singh never agreed to
decedent’s transfer.
Dr. Brandon spoke with Dr. Jamal Sadik, a Mercy General intensivist. Dr. Sadik
initially agreed to accept decedent’s transfer provided interventional cardiology was
involved. But he changed his mind after learning that Dr. Singh did not plan on
performing a catheterization on decedent. Dr. Sadik could not accept the transfer if, as a
result of Dr. Singh’s decision, decedent would not receive any interventions at Mercy
General that Methodist Hospital could not provide.
Dr. Brandon submitted transfer requests to Sutter, UC Davis, and Kaiser, but each
facility declined to accept the transfer. Dr. Brandon then consulted with Methodist
Hospital’s chief medical officer and, ultimately, with Mercy General’s chief medical
officer. At around 6:15 p.m. that evening, Dr. Brandon learned that Dr. Sadik had agreed
to the transfer and to admit decedent to Mercy General. Unfortunately, decedent died
while awaiting transfer."
So if I read all this correctly, the patient here arrived at Methodist Hospital during the early morning hours (7:28 a.m.) during a cardiac emergency and, in response, the medical staff there futzed around and tried to get her transferred to a hospital in which she could actually be appropriately treated for approximately the entire day, ending only when, that evening (sometime around 6:15 p.m.), she died awaiting care.
Not exactly a great look for Methodist Hospital, and one that might well get me to tell the driver of any ambulance that picked me up: "Yeah, maybe take me someplace else first, please."
P.S. - The opinion was originally unpublished. It gets published today.
