Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine has faced numerous allegations of "making preventable errors or setting aside basic safety rules" in recent years, which arguably contradicts its reputation as a national leader in patient safety, according to an investigative report from the Tampa Bay Times.
The publication cited nine cases that involved preventable errors or other patient safety issues dating back to 2011, some of which persisted even after frontline workers alerted health system executives, according to the report. In one case, federal inspectors found a surgical patient died after receiving the wrong type of blood at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. In another case, surgeons at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., continued to perform surgeries after hospital officials learned the operating rooms weren't cleaned properly.
In a statement to Tampa Bay Times, Johns Hopkins called medical errors a "tragic fact" that occur at all healthcare facilities, but also said the health system "can and will do better."
"The Tampa Bay Times has identified occasions where it is apparent that as an organization we failed to act quickly enough, we failed to listen closely enough and, in some instances, we failed to deliver the care our patients and their families deserve. This is unacceptable," Johns Hopkins said in the statement. "Anyone who demonstrates that they are unwilling or unable to maintain our rigorous and exacting safety culture will not be a welcome member of our caregiving community."
To view the full report, click here.