With the cost of healthcare today, people want to ensure they’re getting the absolute best care possible. Unfortunately, being in the medical field is extremely stressful, and sadly, healthcare professionals often turn to drugs and alcohol to help them cope. But at what cost? Do the hospitals and other healthcare organizations see what’s happening and offer help, or do they turn a blind eye? Many times, it’s the latter. But why? It all boils down to money. So, let’s find out exactly what risks are involved when healthcare organizations put profits over patients’ health.
First and foremost, there’s patient safety. Impaired doctors often make errors in diagnosis, treatment, and surgery, leading to patient harm or, unfortunately, even death. This jeopardizes the most fundamental goal of healthcare: ensuring patient safety. For example, on July 8th, the FDA ordered NorthShore Medical Center, located at 1100 NW 95th St, Miami, FL 33150, to stop performing mammograms after exposing the terrible truth that many patients may have received inaccurate results for over two years. This affected many women and caused them severe psychological trauma and phenomenal pain. Incredibly, these women must now undergo new mammograms for accurate readings, according to an article posted by WSVN.
Interestingly, diagnostic radiologist Dr. Terri Noe, who has at least one DUI on her record and has continued to drink regularly despite that DUI, is employed by NorthShore Medical Center. What’s even more shocking is that she was hired by them just a few months after she pled guilty to causing an accident while driving under the influence. The fact that NorthShore Medical Center would hire Dr. Noe to care for patients when she had just recently had her driver’s license suspended, was on probation, and was required to complete community service because of an alcohol problem is just mind-boggling. How could they possibly think that Terri would be capable of handling the duties that are necessary to be a responsible diagnostic radiologist when she obviously can’t even handle the responsibility of not driving while drunk?!
It makes you wonder how many of those inaccurate mammograms might have been the result of her (or other doctors) being under the influence while at work. How terrifying to think that a radiologist, whom you are putting your trust in when having a mammogram screening, might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This sort of possibility undermines the trust that patients must be able to have in their doctors. How else can we be assured that our doctor hasn’t missed something serious, like cancer?
There are also legal and financial risks. Malpractice lawsuits often arise from mistakes made by impaired doctors. This leads to substantial legal fees, settlements, or judgments. Not only do these legal battles drain financial resources, but they also damage the organization’s reputation. Financial difficulties are another thing that NorthShore Medical Center has been experiencing, which has led to significant layoffs, as well as the closure of their behavioral health unit, their women’s diagnostic center, as well as their NICU. further impacting the quality of patient care.
Of course, having an impaired doctor employed at your healthcare center can cause significant damage to your reputation. News of impaired doctors can severely tarnish the reputation of a healthcare organization. This can result in loss of trust among patients, reduced patient numbers, and difficulty attracting skilled professionals. Any reputable healthcare organization should be aware of how their doctors are coping with stress and not allow them to continue practicing at their facilities if they continue to have problems with alcohol or drugs.
Allowing impaired doctors to practice can negatively affect the morale and productivity of other healthcare staff, who may feel unsafe or unsupported in their work environment. Imagine how stressful it must be for those people working alongside Teri Noe, knowing that she has a drinking problem and may well be under the influence while at work. They may feel like they have to cover for her mistakes, or even worse, what if they’re blamed for a serious medical issue that was missed during a diagnostic screening performed by Dr. Terri Noe?
Regulatory Sanctions: Healthcare organizations with inadequate monitoring systems may face severe sanctions from regulatory bodies. These could include fines, license suspension, or even medical license revocations.
Ethical Concerns: Healthcare organizations have a moral and ethical obligation to ensure that their staff is providing the highest level of care. Failing to monitor substance use undermines this ethical responsibility.
Insurance Costs: Impaired doctors can lead to an increase in malpractice claims, which can, in turn, drive up insurance premiums for the organization. Higher insurance costs can strain healthcare providers' financial resources. After discovering that faulty mammogram screenings had been given at Northshore’s diagnostic center for over 2 years, where many of the women being screened were either breast cancer survivors or were at an increased risk for breast cancer, it’s only a matter of time before lawsuits start rolling in.
Quality of Care: Consistent monitoring ensures that doctors can provide high-quality care. Impaired doctors can lead to a decline in the overall standard of care, affecting patient outcomes and the overall effectiveness of healthcare services.
What can healthcare organizations do to ensure their doctors stay clean and sober, especially at work? Monitoring drug and alcohol use among doctors is crucial to maintaining a safe, ethical, and high-quality healthcare environment.
Healthcare organizations can implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure their doctors remain clean and sober, particularly at work. Here are several steps they can and should take:
By implementing these measures, healthcare organizations, such as NorthShore Medical Center, can help ensure that their doctors remain clean and sober, safeguarding patient care and maintaining a professional work environment.
