This story is about pulse of colorado member 

 

Retired Fire Captain Fights For Medical Rights

 

            Robert Weber, a retired firefighter, lieutenant, captain, assistant fire marshal, and acting battalion chief for Fort Collins, fights to be heard by the medical world.

            He fights after an outpatient knee surgery went wrong leaving him injured and medical bills equaling up to $350,000, along with another surgery to correct the problem costing $20,000.

            Every year, according to a Harvard Medical Study, an estimated 80,000 to 30,000 people are injured as a result of medical mistakes.

            Another report, “Preventing Medical Errors: A Call to Action,” reports 98,000 patients die a year from medical errors, making it the country’s fourth leading cause of death after highway accidents, breast cancer and AIDS.

            On Dec. 9, 1999 Weber received an iatrogenic injury, or infection, during outpatient arthroscopy knee surgery at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

            One week after getting knee surgery Weber was misdiagnosed by his doctor with spontaneous gout and told he was all right to leave town even though a synovial fluid report suggested a major infection had occurred.

            Although no gout tests were done at the time of the diagnosis, Weber was billed for three of the tests several months later. He also found that it was impossible to diagnose gout with only a synovial

 fluid test, which is all he had received.

            While in New Jersey at a funeral, Weber had to have emergency surgery. He was then incapacitated in New Jersey for six weeks.

            Weber is requesting an investigation of his surgery by PVH, because his infection was never reported and medical records are missing.

            “I trusted PVH,” Weber said. “I was in so much pain I thought I was going to die.”

            According to Armi Hall, public relations coordinator for PVH, Weber’s investigation of missing papers and records is being investigated.

            Some of Weber’s other concerns, which deal with a missing video and pictures, his infection never being reported, and the fact his shin tag not removed during surgery cannot be investigated by PVH, because his surgery was performed by a private doctor and not by PVH, Hall said.

            “We take all of our complaints seriously and are looking into Weber’s requests,” Hall said.

            Unfortunately Weber’s doctor, Dr. Sally A. Knauer, was unavailable for comment due to patient confidentiality and was unable to even confirm if Weber had been a patient there at all.

            John Mulligan, fire chief of Poudre Fire Authority in Fort Collins, said he was aware of other firefighters being infected at PVH, but to his knowledge they were less severe than Weber’s.

            “We’ve had at least two others with severe infections,” Mulligan said.

            Another ex-firefighter at Poudre Fire Authority, Shawn Bailey, has a similar story.

            On Dec. 31, 1997 Bailey had a gastric bypass at PVH, which was supposed to have him out of the hospital in six days and back to work in six weeks, but then turned into eight months.

            During surgery at PVH, Bailey received an infection that put him into a coma and into ICU for an extended amount of time.

            “If it wasn’t for my brother I would have died,” Bailey said.

            After being infected with several different infections, Bailey lay unconscious at the hands of his doctors.

            After Bailey came out of a coma, his brother contacted an infection doctor to help Bailey’s failing health.

            “The infection doctor saved my life,” Bailey said.

            Since his surgery at PVH bailey has endured 15 more surgeries to correct the damage the infections caused, which include nerve damage to his feet and legs as well as a bedsore that amounted in the removal of his lower back muscle.

            Bailey can no longer work as a firefighter and has medical bills amounting to $1.5 million dollars. He now lives in Washington after leaving Fort Collins.

            Bailey’s investigation came to a halt after his attorney failed to get any one to testify from PVH.

            Throughout Weber’s ordeal he has been in contact with PVH, the city of Fort Collins, the Medical Examiners, and the Director of Public Health and Environment.

            Each response Weber has received has been that they cannot help in his investigation.

            According to Ray Martinez, mayor of Fort Collins, Weber’s concern is with PVH and is out of the city’s jurisdiction.

            If Weber was still employed by the city there is a chance the story might be different, Martinez said. As of right now it is a private legal matter.

            “We are very sympathetic of his needs,” Martinez said. “We hate to see this happen to any one”

            According to Hall the next step for Weber is to contact the complaint board at PVH.

            Weber hopes to start a victim’s of PVH group and have his story heard.