California Watch's Article on Septicemia at Prime Healthcare's Hospitals Is Erroneous and Is Based on Preliminary Misinformation Supplied by the Union, SEIU

ONTARIO, Calif., May 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- California Watch's most recent article regarding the preliminary findings of California Department of Public Health (CDPH) pertaining to the diagnosis of septicemia at Prime Healthcare's hospitals is yet another example of its failure to gather all of the facts before publicizing baseless allegations fed by the union, SEIU.  As demonstrated by Prime Healthcare's responses, CDPH's findings are erroneous and are the result of surveys performed by surveyors who lacked sufficient experience and training to reach the conclusions they did. For example,

• CDPH's surveyor at San Dimas Community Hospital, an OB/GYN, questioned a diagnosis of sepsis even though five other board-certified physicians, including a board certified infectious disease specialist who is most qualified to diagnose sepsis, documented the patient as having sepsis forty-five (45) different times in the medical record;

• Contrary to the well established practice of medicine and national coding guidelines, CDPH's surveyors falsely assumed that blood cultures have to be positive in order to diagnose septicemia; and

• CDPH's surveyors were not knowledgeable about the diagnosis and coding principals related to septicemia.

Prime Healthcare has met with CDPH's headquarters staff to address the erroneous findings and CDPH has acknowledged that further discussions are warranted to address Prime Healthcare's concerns.  "Prime Healthcare is confident that CDPH's initial findings will be reversed after CDPH has reviewed all of the facts and reviews the matters using correct standards" said Mike Sarrao, Prime Healthcare's General Counsel.

SOURCE Prime Healthcare Services

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