The Kermit Nurse Scandal continues to be scandalous. My two bloggings about this West Texas Scandal has generated the most comments since I blogged about the Only Child Syndrome Scandal. In the first blogging about the Kermit Nurse Scandal I just wrote an overview of the bizarre legal authority misconduct taking place in Kermit, bringing a nurse, Anne Mitchell, to trial because she reported bad practices by a bad doctor to the appropriate Texas medical authority.I blogged again about the Kermit Nurse Scandal after Anonymous sent me a link to a YouTube video of the doctor at the heart of the scandal, Rolando German Arafiles, Jr. M.D., where the doctor is on some Christian Network TV show trying to sell snake oil.
The comments have been very interesting. A couple comments, of course from Anonymous, come to the defense of the doctor and Kermit and paint Nurse Mitchell as an evil doer. Go to the first blogging about the Kermit Nurse Scandal to read that comment. It's the first comment, followed by many more comments, with the commenters appalled at the first Anonymouses' anonymous comment.
Then I got a comment from another Anonymous telling me that Dr. Arafiles has gotten in trouble before, back in 2007. Apparently for running some sort of quack diet clinic where he overprescibed potent pills, among other bad behaviors. That is a snapshot of Dr. Arafiles signature on the document in which he agrees to pay a fine and cease the bad behaviors, among a lot of other legalese. You can read the entire Texas Medical Board review of Dr. Arafiles license to practice medicine.
And then another Anonymous said...
As a nurse who has practiced in many states, I think this is scary. What this nurse has done is to rock the ol'boy network that still apparently exists in Texas. We see this in Georgia to some extent. If she cites her state's nurse practice act--she should be covered. The public would cringe if they knew the full extent of the poor medical practices that nurses witness. So, this nurse must have seen more than she could bear to look away from. If she looses this fight, the nurses of Texas should pack up and move to a state where they are appreciated.
A non-Anonymous calling herself kdmidd tell us her harrowing personal experience with the Kermit Hospital and the doctors who "practice" there....
When I was ten years old I broke my leg and was taken to Kermit Hospital before being transported to Odessa. The Doctor on duty in Kermit that night gave a 10 year old girl enough morphine for a 45 year old 200lbs man...then sent me on an ambulance 45 miles to Odessa without a splint on my leg- apparently forgetting that my leg was CROOKED- Kermit hospital is crap at best...and maybe they wouldnt be if they could bring in a decent Dr...they've had kooks for years...who else would choose to practice there?
And then another Anonymous charges Nurse Mitchell with rule violations...
Nurse Mitchell has violated HIPPA, you know those little rules that protect patient confidentiality? She and her cohort failed to BLACK OUT patient names when reporting the malpractice to the proper authorities. Ooops, should have been a bit more careful. You'd think a NURSE with all her experience and years of training would of remembered something like that...does make one wonder. And a whole host of people are being subpoenaed, seems like they were all standing nearby and overheard the nurses discussing openly these patients and their conditions, uh oh...isn't that another rule violation?
Things are not entirely what they seem. True, they seem to be incredulous, but only to the outside observer. The town of Kermit follows the Good Ol Boy handbook. You can find this book filed in the W Library over in Midland, he was the author.
To which another Anonymous was a Voice Reason, unlike the previous Anonymouses' illogical gibberish...
This is horrendous for all healthcare nurses, risk managers and compliance officers.
When as one of these professional encounter a fellow healthcare provider who, in our professional judgement, is failing to practice safe medicine, we are bound by our nursing code of ethics and our state licenses to take steps to protect the welfare of our patients.
The hosptial was notifed and slapped the doctor on the wrist. Nurse Michell is being hung out to dry by the very system that is suppose to support quality medicine and reporting. I am appauled by this case and the potential implications of resultant case law.
The sheriff in this story needs to share a cell with this doctor.
2 comments:
Thank God the nurse was not charged for doing such a great job. It is scarey that nurses are resticted from doing the right thing for their patients. If you were mistreated you would want us to report it. Good job nurse Mitchell. Shame on you Kermit hospital administration. I have been a nurse for 20 years and my patients come first. Listen to us. We know whats going on...
I was born and raised in Kermit. It warms my heart to know that Robert Roberts and Scotty Tidwell will no longer be a part of the legal system in my hometown. I grew up with that mess and know for a fact that everyone not related to or somehow personally connected to either of them has a smile on their face after Robert Roberts recent conviction. He is, was and always will be a crooked bastard.
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