In January, St. Charles Medical Center-Bend admitted that it had failed to properly disinfect a colonoscope, which was later used during colonoscopy procedures involving 18 patients. A patient, only referred to as “Jane Doe,” sued the hospital for approximately $270,000 in emotional damages and future medical bills.
Last week, St. Charles Health System moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the dirty colonoscope “did not pierce her skin as a needle may” and it was not “offensive in the way sexual abuse is,” according to court documents.
Circuit Court Judge Wells Ashby tossed out St. Charles Health System’s appeal, and a jury trial has been scheduled for December.
Read the news report about St. Charles Health System’s lawsuit.
Read other coverage about hospital quality:
– LOS Down, Readmission Up Among Hip Arthroplasty Patients
– Hospitalization May Cause Temporary Memory Loss in Senior Patients
– C. Diff Increases Risk of Death 6-Fold in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
