OB-GYN Group Accuses Prisma Health of “Life-Threatening Medical Incompetence” in Lawsuit

A recent court filing by South Carolina OB-GYN Associates alleges the group left the Prisma Health network due to ongoing dangerous conditions at the hospital formerly known as Palmetto Baptist Richland. The allegations are part of a counter-suit filed by S.C. OB-GYN Associates in response to Prisma’s lawsuit filed against the doctors, for breaking their 10-year lease agreement when they moved from Prisma’s campus to Lexington Medical Center, a competing medical system.

According to The State, S.C. OB-GYN Associates was an independent practice, but housed on Prisma Health-Midland’s campus, and used their Baptist hospital for births – about 800 every year. S.C. OB-GYN claims that Prisma violated the terms of their own lease by failing to provide a “reasonably adequate” hospital in which to safely practice.

The court filing states, in part, “In recent years, the members of S.C. OB-GYN have, in horror, observed Baptist hospital recede into a third-tier facility plagued by astonishing lapses in patient care, cleanliness, and unsafe hospital conditions. Conditions caused, on information and belief, by Prisma Health’s drive to cut costs, increase profits and pay senior executive exorbitant compensation.”

S.C. OB-GYN offers many examples of Prisma’s “abysmal” negligence and incompetence in their lawsuit. The group also alleges they raised concerns with hospital oversight committees and executives, which went unaddressed. The allegations in the suit include:

• Baptist Hospital turned away pregnant patients because the hospital was understaffed
• A patient needing surgery for an ectopic pregnancy experienced blood loss for over an hour due to understaffing of operating room nurses
• Repeated occurrences of staff failing to properly monitor patients or respond appropriately to medical emergencies
• Numerous experiences where they were forced to deliver babies without scrub nurses
• Being forced to perform surgeries with only medical students to assist
• A situation where an OR head nurse had no information – why she was there or what procedure was to be performed
• Ill-trained nurses who had trouble identifying even basic instruments
• Patient complaints about lack of cleanliness and unskilled care

Michael Bundy, CEO of Baptist Hospital, sent a statement to The State. “Patient safety is central to the trust we share with our patients at Prisma Health, and our commitment to providing safe, compassionate and effective care to all of our patients is unwavering,” he said. “Our rigorous quality assurance programs are the foundation of our commitment … Prisma Health, like all hospitals, is subject to inspections by multiple federal, state and local regulatory agencies.”

However, S.C. OB-GYN may have the last word. The filing further stated, “Ultimately, the S.C. OB-GYN doctors concluded that Prisma Health-Baptist was not safe for patients to deliver their babies or receive out-patient or in-patient care. In short, practicing medicine at Prisma Health-Baptist was dangerous.”

Our firm has filed and litigated cases against both S.C. OB-GYN and Prisma Health. The concerning part about this article is that profit seems to be the over-riding factor in the lack of care demonstrated at Prisma. When a Hospital Corporation becomes more concerned about the bottom line than the safety and care of its patients, people die. This is unacceptable and we will represent you if you or a loved one have been harmed by financially driven hospitals or medical practices who put dollars before patients. Cutting corners through understaffing, hiring unqualified medical professionals, failing to train staff properly and not monitoring appropriately due to understaffing causes irreparable harm to any patient of a Medical Center more concerned about the bottom line than its patients. We plan to keep a close eye on this case for our clients. You can read the entire court filing here.

At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC in South Carolina, we protect the rights of mothers and their babies from obstetrical malpractice. If you or your child were injured by the negligence of a doctor or other medical professional, we want to help. Schedule your free consultation today by calling 803-327-7800, or we invite you to reach out to us through our contact page.