Posted on Sep 19, 2015
What do you think - is VA hospital at fault in Marine veteran's death?
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What do you think - is VA hospital at fault in Marine veteran's death?
RP Community we have lost another Brother!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/08/20/wisconsin-va-hospital-death/32062485/
An investigation into the death of a former Marine at a Tomah, Wis., VA Medical Center found that staff improperly prescribed medications and blundered its response when the veteran was found unresponsive in his bed.
Jason Simcakoski, 35, of Stevens Point, Wis., died Aug. 30 in the hospital’s short-stay mental-health unit from “mixed drug toxicity.”
He took 13 prescribed medicines, including several that cause respiratory depression, in a 24-hour period. Staff psychiatrists had added new medications to Simcakoski's lengthy list of prescriptions in the days preceding his death, according to a Veterans Affairs Department Inspector General report released Aug. 6.
RP Community we have lost another Brother!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/08/20/wisconsin-va-hospital-death/32062485/
An investigation into the death of a former Marine at a Tomah, Wis., VA Medical Center found that staff improperly prescribed medications and blundered its response when the veteran was found unresponsive in his bed.
Jason Simcakoski, 35, of Stevens Point, Wis., died Aug. 30 in the hospital’s short-stay mental-health unit from “mixed drug toxicity.”
He took 13 prescribed medicines, including several that cause respiratory depression, in a 24-hour period. Staff psychiatrists had added new medications to Simcakoski's lengthy list of prescriptions in the days preceding his death, according to a Veterans Affairs Department Inspector General report released Aug. 6.
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Death
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Death Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Posted >1 y ago
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First of all with all of those other medication in his system and lord knows how long he'd been self mediating, we don't know how much damage was already done to his system/organs.....however, this being said....It seems like the staff there is not well trained and I certainly wouldn't want them working on me or anyone I know.
Sounds like this VA or at least it's Psychiatric facility needs a huge over all, training and protocols updated.
Sounds like this VA or at least it's Psychiatric facility needs a huge over all, training and protocols updated.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs It sounds like they have poor patient management. Different doctors prescribing meds. It happens sometimes that one doctor is unaware of what another doctor is prescribing. The doctors took the stance of blaming the patient for his own death which bothers me because it appears they did so without having any facts or evidence to support their claim. Everyone who touched this patient seems to have failed him. The description says they stopped giving CPR because firefighters arrived and they thought they would take over but investigators stated "However, firefighters at the facility are not designated as first-line staff to provide hands on emergency care."
I'm confused, on that one. I can't believe staff would stand around not taking care of a dying patient. It is the RESPONSIBILITY of hospital staff and rescue personnel to attempt to save lives not to be complacent about it while they die.
I'm confused, on that one. I can't believe staff would stand around not taking care of a dying patient. It is the RESPONSIBILITY of hospital staff and rescue personnel to attempt to save lives not to be complacent about it while they die.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CPT (Join to see) There are a lot of holes in this story and the explanation coming out of the facility. That even concerns me more when people start telling different version or start fingerpoiting and not accepting responsibility. Something happened here and the ball was dropped - I don't know if we will ever see the results of the final investigation into what really happened and why. We lost a Brother and a human being!
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LTC Christopher Sands
I had hoped that the New VA sec. coming in would clean house. I am very disappointed.
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I don't think so COL Mikel J. Burroughs. Perhaps the treatment Jason Simcakoski received or didn't is the fault of part of the team that was responsible for treating him.
In any event it is sad that Jason Simcakoski died while under VA treatment.
Each human being is unique. While most of us benefit or respond similarly to the same medicine there are group that don't. I have learned that some medicines make me psychotic, one mimicked the symptoms of a heart attack, and other medicines I must take in multiples of the doses that the general populations requires to be effective.
In any event it is sad that Jason Simcakoski died while under VA treatment.
Each human being is unique. While most of us benefit or respond similarly to the same medicine there are group that don't. I have learned that some medicines make me psychotic, one mimicked the symptoms of a heart attack, and other medicines I must take in multiples of the doses that the general populations requires to be effective.
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MSG Brad Sand
LTC Stephen F.
While do not disagree with what you are saying, I was shocked when I read he was able to leave and obtain additional meds, on top of all he was on? Someone on that many drugs cannot be adding more to the mix without some very negative results...as the story proves.
While do not disagree with what you are saying, I was shocked when I read he was able to leave and obtain additional meds, on top of all he was on? Someone on that many drugs cannot be adding more to the mix without some very negative results...as the story proves.
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LTC Stephen F.
MSG Brad Sand - I completely concur with your assessment. I tell my VA primary care doctor every supplement I take - she already knows the 10 VA prescribed medicines I take. It is up to the Veteran to share with his or her VA doctor what medicines they are taking that have not been prescribed by their VA medical teams. Similarly since the VA can not share or have information shared readily with the by non-VA doctors, it is important that Veterans tell their non-VA doctors what medicines and supplements they are taking as well.
Hopefully the sharing of medical information, with veteran consent, will improve but I expect it won't be soon, unfortunately.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Hopefully the sharing of medical information, with veteran consent, will improve but I expect it won't be soon, unfortunately.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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