The CEO of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital — the facility at the center of Netflix's documentary "Take Care of Maya," which drew public attention to a malpractice lawsuit — has spoken out in defense of the providers involved.
K. Alicia Schulhof, CEO of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based hospital, was the featured guest at the Florida Economic Club's community leader social on Jan. 17. Her remarks were reported by The St. Pete Catalyst.
Ms. Schulhof took the floor to give a presentation, speaking about another patient named Maya who was 7 years old when she received a second heart transplant at Johns Hopkins All Children's. The procedure was successful, and Maya created "lasting bonds" with the hospital's staff, the Catalyst reported.
The CEO promised to address the "elephant in the room": the famous case of the other Maya, 17-year-old Maya Kowalski, whose family was originally awarded $261 million in total damages from the hospital. A judge recently lowered the payout to $213.5 million, but denied the hospital's motion for a retrial.
"What I want you to know is how proud I am — and, I hope, how proud you all can be — for having providers that stand up for the most vulnerable kids," Ms. Schulhof said. "They have a duty and a responsibility, and, frankly, their license is on the line if they don't report suspected child abuse and neglect."
Before her presentation, several attendees asked Ms. Schulhof about the widely reported case, according to the Catalyst. When Ms. Kowalski was 10 years old, her family brought her to All Children's for complex regional pain syndrome. Her mother demanded she be given ketamine, which had been administered as treatment in the past. Suspecting Munchausen syndrome by proxy, hospital staff called a child abuse hotline. Ms. Kowalski's family was ordered to leave, and she remained at the hospital under state custody for approximately three months.
Beata Kowalski, Maya's mother, took her own life, citing her separation from Maya in a note.
The jury sided with the Kowalski family in November, originally awarding them $211 million and an additional $50 million in punitive damages for false imprisonment and battery.
But Ms. Schulhof still stands by the team who made the call, saying, "They followed the law, and they did the right thing."