Is There Ever A Best Time For Surgery? ~by Legal Pub

Is there ever a best day for surgery? A recent University Medicine Berlin study suggests that some times may be better than others.  Specifically, the study supported the conclusion that patients are more likely to face complications following weekend or afternoon surgeries. Data from the study reported that the risk of post-surgical death on the weekend rose 22 percent.  Similarly, the study showed a 21 percent increase in deaths following afternoon surgery. Perhaps most surprising; however, is that those having surgery in the month of February had a 16 percent greater chance of death.

Researchers considered data from more than 200,000 patients from 2006 to 2011 in formulating their conclusions.  From the data one might conclude that it is preferable to perform elective surgery on weekends, afternoons, or around Valentines Day when doctors and nurses may be distracted by Cupid's arrows,
 
Does standard of care differ throughout the day and between weekdays and weekends?  One would hope not, but the statistics are alarming.  According to the Medical Daily "the first time, investigators have shown the same cyclic differences for post-surgical deaths."   While this suggests that more research may be needed, Legal Pub does not advocate volunteering for any unnecessary surgery regardless of the time of day or week!

Veteran Blues? ~ by Legal Pub

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is facing a great deal of scrutiny.  Shinseki recently published an open statement reaffirming his commitment to restoring integrity to a department plagued with allegation of death resulting from delayed treatments at veterans hospitals. USA Today.  Did the letter offer solutions or simply restate the problem?  The retired U.S. Army four-star general, Shinseki, merely acknowledged the obvious when he said that delayed treatments -- up to 115 days on average at a facility in Phoenix, Arizona -- are "reprehensible." In the spirit of fairness, General Shinseki also said that he is taking action to "implement recommendations" from the inspector general report.

But is that enough?  Merely challenging the leadership to do better seems like an oversimplication of a complex issue.   General, can you be more specific by outlining your proposed action plan?  Either come up with a plan or take Sens. Al Franken (Minn.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and John Walsh (Mont.) recommendation to resign.  It is a legitimate option that injured and sick vets didn't have during the term of their service or now that they are in need of medical care.

President Barack Obama appeared troubled by the OIG report but failed to suggest any recommended course to General Shinseki.  So, Mr. President, do have a suggested action plan? While the general is committed to doing his duty, it is becoming increasingly clear that no one seems to understand what the job requires.  In sum, it requires an action plan and then execution of the plan.  Certainly the general's 38 year Army career required him to outline a battle plan before he had his soldiers charge into enemy fire. So come on, Sir, let's hear your action plan and see your implementation before another of our countries heroes unnecessarily  dies.

Abuse by Unlicensed Professional? ~by Legal Pub

Did an unlicensed professional, lead people to believe he was a medical doctor?   Did this same man run a facility for adolescents with mental illness and drug abuse problems for decades despite complaints to state regulators alleging abuse?  These questions are now being asked about an inpatient treatment center that operated in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, for almost 30 years.

15 civil suits and over 20 complaints to state regulators have been alleged against Adolescent and Family Institute of Colorado (a.k.a. AFIC.) Allegations range from verbal to physical and sexual abuse.  In some cases, fraud has also been alleged against AFIC's president and founder, Alexander Panio Jr.  Apparently, Alexander was not a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist in Colorado. (Panio got a doctorate in psychology in 1979 from a distance-learning school. Its accreditation at the time was not government-approved and it no longer offers PhDs in psychology. Panio did work as a faculty member at Northwestern University from 1972 to 1978.) 

In one civil suit, parents claim their daughter Jessica Palmer "was repeatedly told by AFIC staff that she was a 'bitch,' 'dumb,' and a [expletive]. She was told that her parents didn't love her and that she was the source of all their problems."

The Palmers' lawsuit claims that  "As a result of her experience at AFIC, Jessica Palmer became more depressed, suicidal and filled with self-loathing," Jessica Palmer took her own life in 2012 after leaving AFIC.

Other patient lawsuits allege abuse include sexual misconduct during physical exams.  , such as fondling and measuring genitalia. Complaints of verbal abuse were made to the Colorado Department of Human Services from 1990 through 2012.  Another lawsuit alleges that a patients medication was inappropriately  abruptly terminated without tapering. It is alleged that the abuse of this patient also included "... being told that he's basically, no good, just the scum of the earth, that he's just a liar and a manipulator and he's really not sick."

The Colorado Board of Registered Psychotherapists issued Panio a cease-and-desist order in March of 2013. Panio appealed. The state Department of Regulatory Agencies is waiting for a ruling by the administrative law judge. The state never shut down AFIC. The facility voluntarily closed on July 1, 2013, Many of the employees are licensed to continue working. No criminal charges have been filed involving AFIC. 

AFIC, Panio and staff members, deny all of the allegations in the civil complaints. It is the plaintiffs who have the burden to prove their contentions. The defendants have no burden to disprove the allegations. (Panio is represented by attorney Katherine Fritz.) 

U.S. Supreme Court Supports Prayer ~by Legal Pub

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Christian prayers at the start of local council meetings.   Prayers are okay as long as they do not denigrate non-Christians or try to win converts according to the court's 5-4 decision in Greece v. .

The decision seems to follow a 1983 decision in which the court upheld an opening prayer in the Nebraska Legislature.  Justice Anthony Kennedy said that forcing clergy to scrub the prayers of references to Jesus Christ and other sectarian religious figures would turn officials into censors. Instead, Justice Kennedy suggested that prayers should be seen as ceremonial and consistent with traditions. "The inclusion of a brief, ceremonial prayer as part of a larger exercise in civic recognition suggests that its purpose and effect are to acknowledge religious leaders and the institutions they represent, rather than to exclude or coerce nonbelievers," Justice Kennedy said. 

A federal appeals court in New York had previously ruled that Greece violated the Constitution by opening nearly every meeting with prayers that focused on Christianity.  Similarly, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that even with the high court's 1983 ruling, the practice of having one Christian prayer after another amounted to the town's endorsement of Christianity.

Justice Elena Kagan, led the dissent. Kagan was joined by Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. 

Is Canada Too Much Like the USA? ~by Legal Pub

Canadians speak English as well as French.  Canadians believe in a free society.  Healthcare in the US and Canada have become very similar since the Affordable Care Act.  So why should it really surprise anyone that US political embarrassments have migrated up north?  Case in point is Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Toronto's mayor will be taking an extended leave of absence while he seeks help for substance abuse.  alcohol, Ford made the announcement after rumors circulated that a second video of the mayor smoking what appears to be crack cocaine was about to be released.

Ford has a re-election coming up in October.  Just how might his leave of absence affect the campaign? If his leave of absence is unpaid, can Ford claim his is a cost efficient alternative to his challenger this fall? Can he borrow themes from former U.S. President Abe Lincoln and proclaim honesty is the best policy, "I have a problem with alcohol, and the choices I have made while under the influence. I have struggled with this for some time... So please vote for me."   Or should Ford take the road traveled by former President Clinton and simply explain that "I did not inhale."

The Globe and Mail newspaper claim a second video exists that shows Ford smoking what appears to be crack cocaine. Ford allegedly takes a drag from a pipe. Of course, the maker of the video reportedly wants to sell the footage. Ford's lawyer, Dennis Morris, said Ford has accepted that he has a problem. Clearly that is true.  But of course, every contested election is a problem.Will last year of denials by Ford that he smoked crack in a "drunken stupor" harm his campaign?  Well, President Clinton denied "... having sex with that woman" and things worked out fine for him as he was reelected. Furthermore Ford has something going in his favor.  The Toronto Sun allegedly has an audio recording of Ford making offensive remarks about other politicians at a bar.  This would be consistent with Ford accepting responsibility for now "telling the truth."

While Toronto's city council has stripped Ford of most of his powers, at least there appears to be no photos of him stripping or exposing his private parts like Anthony Wiener. Ford may run for reelection on the platform of the American Dream of second chances.  John Tory, who is running against Ford in the election, wants Mayor Ford to resign. But how would that look to the democratic process if Tory wins an uncontested election?

Late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, has tweeted sincere messages wishing Ford a successful rehab. Tweets are nice, but campaign contributions likely be appreciated more. Should Ford lose this fall, perhaps he can run for office in Vancouver where they have crack pipe vending machines.  LINK.

Ferry Tales Can Be Sad ~by Legal Pub

A Korean ferry sunk a week ago, as a result at least 104 are confirmed dead and perhaps another 200 missing.  .It took divers almost four days to find a way into the submerged ferry.  Meanwhile, family members pray for a miracle that would defy logic.   Logic dictates that only heartbreak awaits the families of the people still missing from the submerged ferry.  Jindo island is about an hour's boat ride away, much too far for any survivor to have swam.  Now the island serves as a temporary home for the human remains that are waiting to be identified. Approximately 250 of the more than 300 occupants of the ferry were students from a high school, near Seoul, Korea.  The teens were on their way to the tourist island of Jeju when the ferry apparently capsized.

Post accident criticism has centered on the captain and his crew.  The captain allegedly first told passengers to stay in their rooms.  Allegedly the captain waited over a half hour before giving an evacuation order.  By the time the order was given, the ferry known as the Sewol, sank into the sea. When the ship tilted, it is believed that many passengers became trapped inside their rooms. President Park Geun-hye publicly expressed his displeasure, "What the captain and part of the crew did is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense. Unforgivable, murderous behavior." Furthermore, Captain, Lee Joon-seok, and two crew members have been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning passengers. Four other crew members have apparently been detained.

Is there a defense? Captain Lee is 68 and not inexperienced.  Lee claims he delayed issuing an evacuation order because the passengers would have drifted away in the strong current before help arrived. Even if true, why did he not order the passengers to wait on the deck?  On the deck, would they have a better chance to survive? Just how long did it take for rescuers to arrive? Legal Pub has been told that more than 200 rescue boats, 35 aircraft, and 13 fishing boats participated in the rescue efforts.  Unfortunately, their primary role has been limited to recovery of bodies.

Why the ferry sank in the first place has not been discussed.  Prosecutors have speculated that the ship made a sharp turn before it began to tilt. The third mate was steering at the time of the accident.  She apparently had not navigated in this particular area before. Captain Lee claims he was not on the bridge when the accident happened. The third mate is believed to be Park Han-gyeol; however, prosecutors have yet to confirm her identity.

Quite simply, there is no happy ending to this Ferry Tale.

Megan Huntsman, Mother, Murderer or None of the Above? ~by Legal Pub

Horrifying.  Nothing short of horrifying. While marriage strike advocates tell tales of the horrors of marriage LINK, nothing compares to this Pleasant Grove, Utah story. Seven dead babies were found in cardboard boxes in a garage.  How can such tragic sickness exist in this day and age?

Megan Huntsman, 39, is suspected of giving birth to the children between 1996 and 2006.  She was apparently booked on Sunday into the Utah County Jail with six counts of murder. It wasn't clear why their are six counts and not seven. No one seems to know a motive.

Darren West, Huntsman's estranged husband, made the discovery while cleaning out the garage.  Huntsman was recently released from prison and is not believed to be aware of the killings.   West had been in prison on drug-related charges. (West pleaded guilty in federal court in 2005 to two counts of possessing chemicals intended to be used in manufacturing methamphetamine.  In August 2006, he was sentenced to nine years in prison, but appealed the term three times. West maintained his innocence and said he never had any intention to manufacture meth.)  It is believed that West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born.
Utah medical examiner's are investigating the cause of death.

Huntsman also has three daughters - one teenager and two young adults - who lived at the house. Huntsman moved out several years ago and it is unclear where Huntsman has since been living. The investigation continues.  The whole story has yet to be revealed.  It is difficult to comprehend how no one noticed that Huntsman was pregnant.  At this point, NO ONE is guilty!  ALL our innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.

Fed Ex Bus Crash Investigation

Investigators are trying to determine why the Fed Ex truck crashed into the bus.  Ten people were killed in the Orland, California crash.  So far, no evidence has been made public that confirms that the FedEx truck involved was already on fire when it hit the charter bus.  The bus was carrying 44 Southern California high school students and their chaperons.  The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the crash.

Frazier Has Left Planet Earth

Consistent with an insanity theme, Frazier Glenn Cross has demonstrated the degree of insanity that warrants public attention.  Apparently, Cross, a.k.a. Miller shot and killed three people on Palm Sunday in two separate incidents at Jewish centers in Overland Park, Kansas. Two men were reported shot dead around 1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center.   A woman was subsequently shot and killed at Village Shalom retirement center in Overland Park.   Frazier can be described as white 73 year old scum with a history of being involved with the KKK. To make matters worse, he has even had his conical hat thrown into the political arena. At least one of his commercials were antisemitic to say the least.

ALL PERSONS OF INTEREST AND SUSPECTS, EVEN SCUM, ARE PRESUMED TO BE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE IN A COURT OF LAW.