Family Files Suit After Ambulance Driver Posts Picture Of Son With Hashtag ‘ByeByeAnkle’
“To take a pic, hashtag and tag your company, that takes several minutes, and my son was fighting for his life at that time,” said Linette Fiel, the patient’s mother. “We entrust our loved ones with medical personnel, and that’s all we had to hold on to at that moment. … Wasn’t there something more productive he could have done?”
East Bay Times:
East Bay EMT In Hot Water Over Instagram Post Of Mangled Leg
A Bay Area couple is upset with an ambulance driver’s decision to post a picture of their adult son’s badly mangled leg onto Instagram, along with the hashtag “byebyeankle.” Earlier this month, the family filed a lawsuit against Falcon Critical Care Transport, as well as Jacob Uyeyama, who the suit says posted the picture while he worked at Falcon in March. The suit was filed on behalf of Keyano Fiel, who sustained life-threatening injuries during a motorcycle crash in Vallejo in March, including severe brain damage, and injury to an ankle that required amputation. (Gartrell, 10/28)
In other health care news from across the state —
East Bay Times:
Supporters Rally For Eden Health District As Opponents Question Operations
Views on whether to keep or dissolve the Eden Health District were mixed during the first public meeting on a special study commissioned to determine its future and financial viability. Cherryland Elementary School Principal Itoco Garcia says his school is in an area where some health statistics such as childhood poverty and accidental deaths are among the worst in Alameda County. There, Eden Health District and its grant-funded organizations, including the Oakland-based East Bay Agency for Children, often step in to fill those gaps by connecting students and their families with direct health care services, Garcia said. (Moriki, 10/27)
Ventura County Star:
Dental Hygienist Goes On The Road In Ventura County
With an insurance policy that doesn’t completely cover his dental needs, James Johnson was grateful for the teeth cleaning he received recently from a dental hygienist who provides free services at the Ventura County Adult Day Care Center in Oxnard. “I’ve got Medi-Cal, but it doesn’t cover everything,” said Johnson, 79, of Ventura. “It helps me a lot because I don’t have to pay for it. I wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise.” Johnson and five others were able to get their teeth cleaned and receive a free oral cancer screening, thanks to the Free Clinic of Simi Valley's Dental Program and Justin Rodriguez Urbano, a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice. (Doyle, 10/27)
Ventura County Star:
Camarillo Health Agency's Former Boss Sued Over Alleged Fraud
Jane Rozanski, the retired chief executive officer of the Camarillo Health Care District, has been sued by her former employer in a complaint alleging fraud and breach of duty. The public agency claims Rozanski and the district's legal counsel, Ralph Ferguson, carried out a scheme over three and a half years that led to the payment of "false, inflated and unnecessary legal bills" to the lawyer. His services were terminated early last year.The suit claims the two individuals were secretly involved in a romantic relationship that compromised Rozanski's loyalty to the district, which provides health programs and screenings to more than 25,000 people. (Wilson, 10/27)