Fox 8

New Orleans hospital admits dropping ball in fungal outbreak communication

Deadly fungus on hospital linens killed five patients between 2008 and 2009 at the medical facility


Children's Hospital in New Orleans has apologized for its handling of information about a deadly fungus that killed five patients between 2008 and 2009 at the medical facility, according to an article on the WLOX website.

Five children died of an invasive fungal infection — mucormycosis — that contaminated hospital linens.

Hospital executives said mistakes were made in disseminating information about the fungus to the families of the children who died.

"Regrettably, it's become clear that we did not, although I think we made an extraordinary effort to contain and identify the source of this infection, we did not make an extraordinary effort to communicate with our families and disclose the nature of this illness," John Heaton, associate medical director for Children's, said in the article.

Some lawsuits have been filed as a result of the deaths. The parents of 13-year-old Zachary Tyler are suing the hospital and the linen cleaning company, TLC Service, Inc.

Read the article.

 

 



April 28, 2014


Topic Area: Environmental Services


Recent Posts

Case Study: How NYU Langone Rebuilt for Resilience After Superstorm Sandy

Although the damage was severe, it provided a valuable opportunity for NYU Langone to assess structural vulnerabilities and increase facility resilience.


Frederick Health Hospital Faces 5 Lawsuits Following Ransomware Attack

The lawsuits accuse FHH of inadequate cybersecurity, poor breach notification and failing to protect patients from identity theft risks.


Arkansas Methodist Medical Center and Baptist Memorial Health Care to Merge

They have signed a non-binding letter of intent to complete a shared mission agreement to merge the two organizations.


Ground Broken on Intermountain Saratoga Springs Multi-Specialty Clinic

The clinic is scheduled to open and start seeing patients in the fall of 2026.


Electrical Fire Tests Resilience of Massachusetts Hospital

Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital used opportunity to renovate key systems and components and expand facility operations.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.