Ah, good old FOR-profit Kaiser, the Wal-Mart of health care, with their "care-giver bonus plans" and wrongful death lawsuits.
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I was a member for a few years - no more...too dangerous for me.
Plus, 'got tired of premiums increasing $25 - $35/qtr.
Mention Kaiser around my g/friend (Chiropractic Physician) and she goes ballistic.
'Have my own interesting story about "Kaiser care."
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Aug. 29, 2005
Associated Press
San Jose, CA
21 year old Christopher Robin Wibeto's cause of death is still being investigated by the county coroner's office. But state officials have determined that the San Jose man was wrongly given another patient's medication, a cancer-fighting drug called vincristine.
Indeed, state investigators have found the Kaiser hospital did not follow proper protocol in giving the medication without having the doctor and nurse first confirm it was the right drug for the patient.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/13058936.htm
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Nov. 08, 2005
Kaiser confirms third patient death
By Julie Sevrens Lyons - Mercury News
Kaiser Permanente officials on Tuesday confirmed a third case in which a 64-year-old patient at a South Bay hospital died after a medication error.
In August, the same hospital was cited following the death of Josephine Frances Hart, a 12-year-old girl who had received a double dose of pneumonia medication.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/13117889.htm
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Thu, Nov. 10, 2005
Hospitals blamed in more deaths
By David L. Beck
Mercury News
Kaiser Permanente officials have confirmed the deaths of two more patients caused by staff errors at its South Bay hospitals. The deaths bring to at least four the number of fatal incidents at Kaiser facilities during the past 13 months.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/13129841.htm
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Former Kaiser Doctor Talks To ABC7
Claims Many Medical Mistakes
By Debora Villalon
From:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=3626588
Nov. 11 - KGO - A doctor who once worked at Kaiser Permanente in South San Francisco claims preventable medical mistakes happened too often at that hospital. He says cost-cutting moves put patients' lives in danger, and when he tried to warn Kaiser, he was fired.
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Here's the inside poop: (even includes a Nixon & Erlichman transcript from the "Whitehouse Tapes")
KAISER PERMANENTE - The Unauthorized Tour
First prepared for the Kaiser Papers Web site by Dr. Phillips in early September 2005 as a Public Service for All Who Want to Understand Kaiser Permanente Through Full Transparency - Last updated in Fresno California – October 15, 2005
http://www.kaiserpapers.info/unauthorized-outline.html
"One third of the time the Kaiser care is acceptable, but that is aimed at special people and meant to keep the outside inspectors confused about the two thirds of the time that the care is way below acceptable – often lethal. Kaiser has the Capacity to give care – reflected in the notebooks presented for the outside inspectors (as the latter folks look forward to the sliced beef tenderloin lunch) – but not the Will do so, as there are less profits in doing it right. Inspectors don’t know – or don’t want to know - the difference (and I watched an inspection of Kaiser from the inside)."
"Kaiser Permanente is simply a FOR profit BUSINESS PLAN (only a concept and not a registered business entity or taxable entity) trying to be viewed by patients and the press as a not for profit "Medical Care Plan.""
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Want more?...
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http://www.kaiserpapers.org/truth.html
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http://www.kaiserpapers.org/