Thoughts and prayers for Jimmie Lawson

[plugger]

From the Dialysis Advocates' facebook page: This is the patient that the ESRD Networks and CMS was so concerned about and put him on the fast track.

ESRD and CMS and Corporate Fresenius who did nothing to protect him knowing that he was in fear for his life, and with full knowledge at Corporate Fresenius up to Rice Powell they allowed this clinic to terminate him, after much information that he was being harassed for complaining about care. They still have not responded and refuse updates to family and advocate. They do as they please. This is for complaining to them, is what has caused this. This could be you and patients need to speak out. We are getting this out and need all the stories that will be kept confidential to the Justice Dept and an Oversees paper that would like to see the stories.

This man is TERMINATED and is doing Dialysis only in Emergency situation when critical labs reach that state. He was denied treatment at St. Mary's Hospital Emergency Room due to his wife calling too much. He was in an emergency state. Will post letter.

The current hospital St. Luke's states he needs to do dialysis 3 times a week, but he is told to come in 3 times a week- waiting hours to be denied many times as he was yesterday, even though he could not breath, his K was below critical and had to sleep sitting up, as he cannot breath. He has to go in to see if he can today.

This is life and death and this has been ongoing all the way up to Patrick Conway MD at CMS and Sylvia Burwell Secretary of HHS, along with other Fresenius officials.

[Rerun]

Can he try to go to DaVita?  Even if we called 60 Minutes to look into this it can be too late for us.  We can only fight a short time and they know this.

[cassandra]

This is just too crazy. What can I say? What can I do? Just glad I live on this site of the pond.

Love, possitive vibes,strength, luck, Cas

 

[Bungarian]

Find a Davita clinic and go see one of their nephrologist. They can get you scheduled a lot easier than just calling the clinic yourself.

[Michael Murphy]

Even more troubling Google Jimmie Lawson and dialysis and Fresinius no hits this guy is in danger of loosing his life and there is no activity in the news.  Even if he was a PITA he should not be sentenced to death.

[smartcookie]

He needs to call his regional Kidney Council.  By law, the clinic needs to find another place for him to dialyze before "kicking" him out.  At least in South Carolina that's the case.  I have had to find emergency placement for patients  in the past due to verbal and physical threats that have been made against them or by them to staff.  If he needs phone numbers to his Kidney Council, let me know where he lives and I will find the number for him. 

[Michael Murphy]

At the minimum he needs a lawyer to ask the courts to intervene.

[Bungarian]

What is the update on this?

[plugger]

The last time I contacted Arlene at Dialysis Advocates the most I could get out of her was 'not good'.  Most of the time DA handles these situations quietly and behind-the-scenes.  I figured it has hit the fan when I'm seeing posts like that.  But if anybody can help Jimmie, it would be Arlene and DA, she has been doing this for almost 20 years and has helped so many patients: http://dialysisadvocates.com/patient-stories/

[iolaire]

I would be interested in hearing more about the situation and why he was "terminated," including the history going into the termination.  I know that corporations can be cruel, but also I assume dialysis have fairly clear guidelines for treatment under federal law or rules.  If this was a decision including the CEO you can be sure that Fresenius has strong documentation on the situation and believes that they are on firm legal standing.

The following quote makes me wonder what the other side/s (or even his side) of the story is given a second center has denied him treatment.

He was denied treatment at St. Mary's Hospital Emergency Room due to his wife calling too much. He was in an emergency state. Will post letter.

[iolaire]

Also sites like http://consumerist.com/ might be the best locations to try to pickup a story like this.  They publish a good verity of consumer interest stories.