Legionnaires' Disease at VA Hospital (Erie: store, safer, office)

[Caladium]

This story was on the CBS Evening News tonight. What do you guys think of this hospital continuing to admit patients after discovering they had a problem with Legionnaire's Disease in their water (and without telling the patients)? If you were the hospital administrator, what would you have done differently?

VA hospital under investigation for deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak - CBS News

[Hopes]

I have a friend who caught Legionnaire's disease from a local dentist office. It took a while for the CDC to track down, but eventually a handful of cases had that office in common from the histories of where they went over a period of time. This almost killed my friend. It took forever to recover and my friend is still having reoccurring lung problems years later. It's insane for a HOSPITAL to take patients knowing it had Legionnaire's disease prior to locating the source and fully rectifying the problem.

[Caladium]

Isn't there another hospital right across the street from the VA? Couldn't they have simply told new patients to go over there?

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Isn't there another hospital right across the street from the VA? Couldn't they have simply told new patients to go over there?

They could have but it wouldn't have been simple. The VA would have to have an arrangement with the nearby hospital(s) to treat or admit its patients.

[ccjetsgo]

Why would you think that a hospital across the street would be any safer? It is actually very common for hospital water systems to contain the Legionella bacteria. Its all about what the hospital is doing to manage the risk and putting in place practices and procedures to manage the critical control points where the Legionella bacteria can emanate from the hospital water systems (potable hot&cold water, cooling towers, decorative water features, etc.).

[simetime]

As a former employee of that particuliar VA I can tell you if they dig deeper they would find alot more things that are not up to par and down right illegal. The top Management should have been removed years ago because of the things that have been going on there. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

[gg]

Originally Posted by simetime

As a former employee of that particuliar VA I can tell you if they dig deeper they would find alot more things that are not up to par and down right illegal. The top Management should have been removed years ago because of the things that have been going on there. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Probably true with pretty much all of them, but seems you are in the know. Not surprising.

[simetime]

Originally Posted by Gerania

They could have but it wouldn't have been simple. The VA would have to have an arrangement with the nearby hospital(s) to treat or admit its patients.

The VA already has an agreement with the local hospitals as far away as Erie.

[simetime]

Originally Posted by ccjetsgo

Why would you think that a hospital across the street would be any safer? It is actually very common for hospital water systems to contain the Legionella bacteria. Its all about what the hospital is doing to manage the risk and putting in place practices and procedures to manage the critical control points where the Legionella bacteria can emanate from the hospital water systems (potable hot&cold water, cooling towers, decorative water features, etc.).

There lies the difference, the local hospital can be sued AND folks will actually lose their jobs as opposed to the VA when the upper management screws up by covering up something like this they are just relocated to a smaller VA or promoted to VISN like Moreland was

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by ccjetsgo

Why would you think that a hospital across the street would be any safer?

Hmm, well you make a good point here. That's definitely true with the flu. I know people who refuse to go into a certain store because they're afraid they'll catch the flu. So they go into the store across the street and the same number of people are sneezing and coughing and contagious over there. (Not that Legionnaires is like the flu, but sort of the same idea)