March 23, 2016 ‘Commissioner John Wiley Price Dallas County Commissioner's Court 1506 Langdon Road Dallas, Texas 75241 RE: Debra Wilson v. Dallas County Hospital District, et. al; Cause No. 3:15-cv-03942-BF Dear Commissioner Price: | recently read of your criticisms of the administration of Parkland Hospital, and its apparent lack of responsiveness to the predominantly minority community that it serves. I have enclosed copies of two letters that I recently sent about my experience at Parkland and Parkland's unwillingness to take responsibility for what happened to me. So far, no action has been taken to my knowledge. During a heart procedure performed on me over eight years ago, a catheter was broken and a long piece was left in my aorta without my knowledge. Even though I was in Parkland for over two months after this happened, and even though 1 had to return to Parkland many times for treatment that included radiological imaging which revealed the broken piece of catheter still there, I was not told about it for seven years. It still has not been removed and I have had to take blood thinner medication because of clotting around it. Parkland’s people told me that they would investigate and let me know how this happened, but they never did or at least, they never informed me. Obviously, 1 am concemed about my situation, but I am also concemed about other patients there because Parkland refuses to be held accountable for the catheter piece in my heart and for not disclosing the problem to me for so long. It seems that Parkland’s policies and procedures about items left in patients and patient disclosure need to be examined and changed I know that Parkland has a new facility, and it certainly looks nice. However, I'm not sure that it has improved the quality of care that is provided there, and that is a real shame. Maybe that will require more changes at the top, Thank you for your attention to this. Yours truly, . bw Wels Debra Wilson 547 Holly Lanne Duncanville, Texas 75116December 10, 2015 Texas Department of State Health Services ‘Tmf Health Quality Institute Health Facility Compliance Group (MC1979) Bridgeport I. Suite 300 P.O, Box 149347 5918 West Court yard Drive Austin, TX 78714-9347 Austin, TX 78730-5036 Via Regular Mai Via Regular Mait ‘The Joint Commission Office for Civil Rights Office of Quality Monitoring USS. Department of Health and Human Services ‘One Renaissance Blvd. 1301 Young Street, Suite 1169 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 Dallas, TX 75202 Regular Mai Via Regular Mail Re: Debra Denise Wilson, Patient MRN: 140952 Acet. #: 614458313 Dear Sirs: Tam a patient of Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Enclosed is a "Patient's Rights" form that was given to me each of several times that I had to seek treatment at Parkland between 2007 and 2014. Last fall, I was advised by a doctor at Parkland that on November 1, 2007, a catheter was broken during a procedure performed there on me and a 20 cm piece of catheter was left in my aorta unbeknownst to me. During that seven year period, I sought treatment at Parkland numerous times, which included chest and abdominal X-rays and CT-scans, yet 1 was not told about the broken piece of catheter left in my heart. Then, in September, 2014, seven years later, I was told that a clot had developed on the catheter piece and that I would have to go on blood thinner therapy. When I learned of the broken piece of catheter in my heart, | complained to Parkland and ‘was told that he matter would be fully investigated and that I would be told of the results and what Parkland would do about it, This never happened. To date, Parkland has denied responsibility for this problem. The Patient Rights statement indicates that I had "the right to information necessary to make informed decisions regarding [my] care, treatment, and services." It also says that I had the “right to timely access to information in [my] clinical records." However, | was not given the information about the broken catheter left in my heart for seven years. In fact, | think that the information was deliberately withheld from me. Now, Parkland is claiming that I didn't notify them soon enough of my complaint, even though I didn't know about it and Parkland withheld the information from me.The attached form states that if I feel that my concems are not being addressed by Parkland T may contact you. I am therefore doing so. Yours Truly, Debra Wilson 947 Holly Lane Duncanville, TX 75116February 5, 2016 Office of Quality and Patient Safety The Joint Commission One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181 Re: Dallas County Hospital District Incident # 023600J1-32483XQH Dear Sirs: Thank you for your letter of December 22, 2016 regarding the above reference matter. | understand ‘your concern about the passage of time, but the reason for the delay was the fact that Parkland did not tell me about its error in breaking the catheter and leaving it in my chest for seven years. I would have reported it earlier had I known about it Also, even if the Joint Commission does not assess specific care of an individual patient, it should evaluate and focus on Parkland's processes and policies, or lack thereof, regarding notification to patients of errors such as items left in patients following surgery. I had radiographic studies of my chest and abdomen done numerous times at Parkland over the next several years, and even though the broken piece of catheter was revealed each time to the Parkland health care providers, no one at Parkland told me about it until it calcified and caused clotting seven years later. Then, when I ‘was told in the Fall of 2014, I was also told by Parkland that the matter would be investigated and L would be informed about the results of the investigation, which to this day, has not happened. So, Parkland's processes and policies, or lack thereof, for investigating and reporting complaints of errors and wrongdoing which apparently goes on to this day should also be evaluated. Thank you for your attention to this Yours truly, Kebee Webern Debra Wilson 347 Holly Lane Duncanville, Tx 75116