A shameful paid opinion

 

Albany Med doctor claimed that failing to treat

 low blood glucose is not a violation of the rules

Matthew Leinung’s paid opinion allowed Samaritan Hospital

 to avoid any responsibility for a diabetic’s totally avoidable death

   Back in 2008, Kathleen Ryan, a lawyer defending Samaritan Hospital in a wrongful death/medical malpractice lawsuit, needed a physician to state in an affidavit that a nurse did not depart from the standard of care when she ignored the hospital’s hypoglycemic protocol and a physician’s written order to apply it, failing for several hours to check on and treat a type 1 diabetic patient after an episode of low blood glucose.

   When the nurse finally went to the bedside, the patient had no pulse or respiration - and a recorded glucose level of just 2 mg/dL.  A code was called.  The almost dead patient was resuscitated and placed on life support.  She had received a catastrophe brain injury.  After three weeks in a coma, she died.

   Facing a motion for summary judgement, Ryan was urgently trying to find a doctor who would testify that Samaritan Hospital was not responsible for the death.  But not surprisingly, several physicians she approached declined to say what she wanted.

   Until she found Matthew Leinung  at Albany Medical Center Hospital.

   Leinung agreed to state under oath that failing to provide basic but essential care for a patient with type 1 diabetes was not a deviation from the standard of care.

   Leinung’s affidavit was all an impatient judge needed to dismiss the case.

   The hospital’s patient died - and, with Leinung’s despicable claim, it dodged being held accountable for a completely avoidable and excruciatingly painful death.

   Leinung willing betrayed his profession for cash.  It may cost him his reputation.

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Diary of a tragedy: Lisa’a last 21 days:

http://www.capitaldistricthealthclaims.com/lisa-at-samaritan/

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