According to the Minnesota Department of Health, accidents or errors at St. Cloud Hospital during the 12 months ending in October 2015 caused one death and 10 serious injuries. The death, reportedly related to the “the malfunction of a device in patient care,” is still currently under active legal investigation. It was the second such death at the hospital in as many years.

State law requires all hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers report any adverse health occurrences as well as to accurately investigate, assess, and identify their causes. There were 316 total incidents reported in Minnesota in 2015, compared with 308 reported in 2014.

Hospital accidents and errors on the rise in St. Cloud and Rochester

The total number of serious injuries at St. Cloud Hospital increased overall from the previous year, with the hospital reporting 20 adverse health events in 2015, including 10 serious injury events, up from 2014’s 15 adverse health events and five serious injuries.
In addition, the 12th annual statewide Adverse Health Events report released this February included two reports of negative health outcomes as a result of device malfunction or incorrect use, the second of which was an incident of serious injury at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Hospital reporting and response is key
While hospital officials state that they are “working hard” to make sure those numbers go down and their record with regard to falls and pressure ulcers (or bedsores) seems to show a mild reduction, patients need to be vigilant in advocating for their own safety and care and the safety and care of their loved ones when undergoing in-hospital treatment or surgery.

St. Cloud Hospital had 184,501 patient days and 98,404 surgeries or invasive procedures last year. Of the five other hospitals included in the report (all with more patient days and six with more surgeries) only two had more adverse health events.
Out of 470,082 patient days and 314,850 surgeries, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester had 31 adverse health events in total – 11 of which lead to serious injuries. In that same period, the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview had 25 mishaps (including two deaths from medication errors) among their 346,791 patient days and 200,894 surgeries.

While the number of falls that led to serious injury or death declined statewide to 67 meaning the number of fall-related deaths reached its lowest point since 2011, the number of deaths overall from 2014 increased from 13 to 16. Still the number of serious injuries declined from 100 to 93, as did the number of retained foreign objects, which declined to 22, the lowest point in the last 12 years of reporting.

Located near Stearns County’s St Cloud Hospital, the skilled team of local St. Cloud Minnesota attorneys at Meshbesher & Spence is available to help you with your personal injury needs.

We understand that when you’re contacting a lawyer it’s typically an extremely difficult and stressful time. That’s why our goal is to make obtaining legal advice as easy and stress-free as possible. We will come to you, meeting with potential clients and their families in the hospital, home, or locations convenient to them. Call the experienced attorneys of Meshbesher & Spence today at (320) 656-0484.