HUMC data manipulated
21
May
5/21/2008:
In a recent op/ed article in a local paper touting a “miraculous turnaround” at Hoboken University Medical Center, CEO Harvey Holzberg cited a Harvard University study on patient care of Hispanics as evidence of the improved quality at the hospital now that it is under the HUMC banner. Why don’t you look at an actual copy of the survey?
Mr. Holzberg’s claim that HUMC ranked #2 in the nation in pneumonia care for Latinos is misleading.
The study was a review of Medicare data from 2004 - LONG BEFORE HUMC EXISTED. And the study titled “The Characteristics And Performance Of Hospitals That Care For Elderly Hispanic Americans” lists St. Mary Hospital as number two in the nation for THE TREATMENT OF PNEUMONIA IN ELDERLY HISPANICS only.
Nevertheless, Mr. Holzberg chose to claim that HUMC was #2 in the nation among 4,552 hospital for pneumonia care of all Latinos (In reality, only 3,669 hospitals were eligible for the survey).
The point is that if Mr. Holzberg and his hospital colleagues are willing to manipulate and misrepresent health care data, to what lengths are they willing to go to manipulate financial data?
Hoboken, HUMC, Hoboken University Medical Center, Harvey Holzberg
1. honcho | May 21st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Really getting a little tired of all this HUMC bashing.
800k per year Harvey and noted financial whiz Joan Q have things well in hand. That’s taxpayers money I’m referring to!!!!
To doubt their financial acumen just shows typical negative thinking!!!!
Chop!Chop!
2. Reformerus_Gianticus | May 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
honcho wrote:
I hope that is sarcasm.
Slice! Slice!
3. personalt | May 21st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
If you read the study further it is actually saying
HUMC is number two for treating pneumonia in Cuban Males that have met Castro, are over age 85 and suffer from IBS.
Based on that fact we should keep the hospital open since their IBS will make it hard from them to travel to another hosiptal without pooping themselves.
4. bri777 | May 21st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Of course we rank high on treatment of elderly latinos for pneumonia. The air here is horrendus and we have one of the largest Latino populations in any county in the US. What kind of stupid @ss survey is that?
5. strand | May 21st, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I dont get what we are bashing here. The CEO wanted to highlight a positive ranking. Let me say that again, a positive ranking. Of course the hospital has tons of issues, and is lacking in quality in many other areas but I dont see whats wrong with highlighting something good. Thats what all organizations do. Or do the companies you all work for only tell the public the bad things and never publicize the good.
6. Katie_Scarlett | May 21st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
strand wrote:
Actually, we don’t tell the public anything - however we’ve been in the news lately (and not for good stuff).
7. honcho | May 21st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Hey Strand one question for you….
How about the CEO releases an audited financial statement and explains why a hospital that just experienced a miracle needs a 12 million dollar injection to pay operating expenses????
That’s what a company in the real world would do!
Except a real company wouldn’t get a 52 million dollar bailout to stay in business.
Chop!Chop!
8. strand | May 21st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
i am not saying they should hide financials. In fact I also strongly believe they should all be released. I am just saying we can say congrats on one small good thing and then continue to bash for other things like lack of transparency. Thats all.
9. hoboken411 | May 21st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
strand wrote:
It’s like me putting up a picture on match.com from five years ago, saying I’m in “great shape.” (actually, a lot of people do that)
But why (mis-)quote facts and figures from 2004, when Holzberg was nowhere to be found, and HUMC didn’t exist?
“St. Mary was a great hospital” has nothing to do with today.
10. UrbanRose | May 21st, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Just a FYI for those that aren’t aware. The name of the hospital was FIRST: St. Mary’s Hospital (Franciscan Health System) Then Bon Secours Health System (name remained the same St.Mary’s Hospital) and Now Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC) which btw is the same initials as Hackensack University Medical Center; however, the treatment BY FAR differs. Just a bit of knowledge
11. KenOn10 | May 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
UrbanRose wrote:
The name was St Mary (not St Mary’s), but that is beside the point. Why do you say the treatment differs?
12. manolo | June 26th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I was just reading Hoboken news at topix.net and saw a doctor at St Mary’s had removed wrong lung yow:
June 26, 2008
Surgeon’s license suspended after removing wrong lung
By ANGELA DELLI SANTI
Associated Press
A New Jersey surgeon’s medical license was suspended after state regulators found he removed the wrong lung from a patient, then tried to conceal the error.
The State Board of Medical Examiners found Dr. Santusht Perera removed a portion of the patient’s right lung when he should have been removing a tumor in the left lung, the state Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.
Perera, according to the board, then told the patient that the right lung contained a life-threatening tumor, though there was no such growth. He also altered the patient’s records to show he intended to operate on the right lung.
The board determined that Perera’s actions constituted gross negligence.
The board said the “tragic error” could have been prevented if Dr. Perera had taken “the most basic and minimal of actions that should be taken by a surgeon in advance of surgery.”
Perera, who practices at Hoboken University Medical Center, was assessed $81,000 in fines and reimbursement costs.
His lawyer, Michael J. Keating, is on vacation and not available for comment, his office said Wednesday.
David Wald, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, said no other complaints were pending against the doctor.
Under the ruling, Perera can appeal for an early restoration of his medical license after six months.
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