This heartbreaking story arrived in our in box a few days ago. There is only one thing we can think of that is more tragic than a mother having to bury her child, and that is having to live with the knowledge that the death occurred unnecessarily at the hands of the doctors entrusted to save him. Justice rarely prevails in these situations, because the system has long been stacked against patients and in favor of corporate abuse of money and power. We ask our readers to keep Sean Berlin in heart and mind as they witness KP CEO George Halvorson making his rounds, touting Kaiser-style health care “reform” for all… because your child could be next.
I’m writing to tell the story of our 32 year old son, Sean Berlin, who expired at Kaiser Permanente, Walnut Creek on 2/22/07 needlessly & wrongfully. Throughout his short stay — first at Kaiser Redwood City for sinus abscess surgery, and then a needless transfer to Walnut Creek on a holiday weekend to save money — Kaiser negligently failed to diagnose, treat, care for and manage him in connection with his medical condition. They also failed to recognize & timely treat him; failed to provide appropriate follow up procedures, medicines, testing, and screening; and he was allowed to deteriorate while unchecked & improperly monitored as his condition rapidly declined, resulting in his untimely death. He died from severe sepsis, which is a hospital acquired condition that can be treated if detected early enough and with the proper treatments. At all times, we feel Kaiser neglected to abide by the laws & rules of the proper standards of patient care.
We spoke with numerous attorneys who felt we had a case but were unwilling to take it because of the MICRA law in California limiting judgments. The three attorneys who did agree to take the case had to drop it for being unable to find a medical expert willing to testify in Kaiser’s rigged arbitration system. The last attorney extorted thousands of dollars from us before he forced us to drop the arbitration for the same reason — no medical expert willing to go through Kaiser’s binding arbitration. By this time the one year limit for filing arbitration had passed. We also filed grievances with JCAHO and the State Medical Board of California, and once again we were passed off and given the run around.
Losing a child is the most difficult thing anyone can ever go through. I hope that when people read this story they can make a judgment on whether this is the way they would like their loved one to be treated. I hope not because everyone deserves to be treated with the highest degree of care available. The Kaiser system is negligent in so many ways & needs to be accountable for its negligence.
Jack & Donna Berlin
Kaiser Thrive Exposed would like to personally thank Dr. Geoff Galbraith - Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute board member; and Vice President, Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, Quality Improvement Management - for inspiring us to create this website. Did we make it into the top 5?
I’m really surprised someone hasn’t taken the law into their own hands, by now.
Those old rumors that flouride makes us compliant must be true.
Sorry to hear about your loss. When dealing with Kaiser nothing should be taken for granted.
Donna and Jack,
As you and I both know, there are so many lawyers, judges and politicians in bed with Kaiser, literally, that it is next to impossible to achieve any kind of accountability. All I can say is that what goes around comes around and Kaiser will not get away with their criminal behaviour for much longer. It is just not possible for a corporation such as this to continue as they are. I stand strong with you in hope and action for better days ahead. You guys are wonderful people and there is a whole lot to be said for that!
Hello Jack & Donna,
In Hawaii, this sort of thing happens all the time. I worked there. The entire management of Kaiser is very corrupt and without ethics or morals. Some hospitals hire lawyers and then they are paid for no work. Meanwhile, they accept cases and delay them until the statute of limitations is over. Report the lawyer to the board in California.
I’m so very sorry for your loss.
aloha,
Hello Donna hello Jack,
Mandatory arbitration as we know it will soon be over. Please Google: “biased arbitration” and you will find dozens of related articles and information about the rapid changes taking place nationwide. Also Google “JUDICIAL APARTHEID”. Kind regards. YJK in N.J.
You have my deepest sympathy, Donna and Jack. I don’t know who is worse the bloody lawyers or the bloody doctors. This is the problem with tort reform that the right is always touting. The only way patients have to deal with doctors who don’t do the job is to sue their sorry butts. The AMA refuses to clean up its own act. Therefore the incompetents, the drunks and the addicts continue to practice with impunity.
Kaiser has its share of all of these I am sure, indeed encourages and protects them. This is one of the central reasons why, in my estimation, Kaiser must never be allowed to participate in health reform except under the strictest supervision. A public option is needed to protect all of us from these money hungry monsters and keep them in their place.
Again, I am so sorry.
I’m not surprised that the Joint Commission and the CA. Board did nothing. I’ve dealt with each, and they are definitely not on the patient’s side.
Very sorry for your unfair and untimely loss.
As bad as the stories on this website are, they really don’t even begin to tell what is actually happening and has been happening at Kaiser for decades. The public will NEVER get an inside view of how terrible and evil Kaiser really is. There are three requirements for really understanding what goes on with this evil, toxic company:
1. You must be an insider with access to information and business practices the company follows
2. You must hold or have held a high level position to see the big picture
3. You must have moral values and not be a “sell-out” and not make a devil’s deal as so many people do
Many doctors who really care about medicine do not last at Kaiser. Many more doctors leave their Hippocratic oath aside and sell their souls to the devil where making money and withholding proper care become the primary drivers. Still, other doctors become the “Kaiser Slaves” who are held by the promise of profitable retirements and, although knowing full well they are fighting their own selves on a daily basis, try to do the best they can under an evil, corrupt and money-making system.
Kaiser is not fixable. Not even the regulatory agencies (assuming they had an interest) can fix it. Not even President Obama’s health reform can fix it. It is simply not fixable…not from the inside, not from the outside!
The very best people can do is not be members of Kaiser. The popular assumption is that Kaiser is the “cheapest” in terms of premiums, that is no longer true. But unquestionably Kaiser IS the deadliest and that is simply their business model…withhold care, make money!
Other HMOs have significant problems and that is clear, the unique case of Kaiser is that the doctors themselves, the nurses in many cases and most of the care delivery teams do work for Kaiser. If Big Daddy (and there is a Big Daddy at Kaiser and it is not the CEO by the way) says “make money” then the doctors MUST make money in the only way they know: withhold care, lie if you have to the patients, do everything to reduce costs. The Thrive campaign has one and one message: We want you as a member, but you CANNOT use our services.
By the way, I meet the 3 requirements above, so you can assume that what is written here is an insider’s experience and views.
Oh no, I just recieved my third denial letter today and I was not aware of what I am up against. I have read over a thousand medical documents concerning my brother-inlaws death, caused by Kaiser doctors and hospital. Facts, not personal feelings or beliefs. I have presented evidence of surgical procedures that were never consented to. Experimental and uselss with no regard or concern of being caught
Today would have been Sean’s 35th Birthday, but instead of having a birthday celebration we are going to the cemetary with flowers, thanks to Kaiser’s lack of patient care.I appreciate all the supportive comments & encourage everyone that reads these stories to tell everyone they know not to have Kaiser coverage. It seems the only way to beat them would be the loss of paying members. Thanks again for the support.
Donna Berlin
Happy Birthday Sean! You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Donna & Jack,
As a Kaiser nurse, what I can say is this…Kaiser recently spent thousands of dollars for the early sepsis recognition program. It is the right thing to do, but I wonder if it was somehow related to Sean’s untimely death. I work in the same region where your son died. I am so sorry for your loss.
Hi Donna & Jack!! I feel for your loss and I hope some day GOD will give u peace!! I went in for a simple Vasectomy 2 years ago and had a doctor at the age of forkin 80 doing the procedure. He messed up the procedure and cut the vas and the artery to my testicle. So he closed them both up and sent me home with blood all over and this was suppose to be a bloodless procedure. Since he closed off my artery, it stopped blood flow to testicle and it died. Got attorney and went through forkin hell and lost to the blood sucker arbitrator who is in bed with all the Kaiser Piece of shit family. I had 5 doctors to testify that they have never seen anything like this happen ever and kaiser said it was a fluke and not the doctors fault. I am so sick of Kaiser it makes me throw up. No wonder people go off and kill with rage when they get screwed over by this powerfull money making machine.!! What is the advertisement about kaiser ( we have people waiting by the baker dozen to work with us!! What a crock of shit. Something has to change. What ever happened to living in AMERICA AND HAVING our rights.
tk
To tk,
Curious to hear if Benji Diaz was your “arbitraitor”in Kaiser arbitration as well? He’s another one in bed with Kaiser and everyone else, including prostitutes, since he is one himself.
No, His Name is Eric Emanuels out of Sacramento!! Young punk who claims he knows all the knowledge of medical mal practice and can’t even figure out a slam dunk case like my own. I lost a testicle over an 80 year old doctor who cut the wrong artery and then blamed the problem on swelling that cut off blood supply to testicle. We got 5 doctors to testify including the doctor who did the procedure and the doctor at kaiser who took out the testicle that they have never had to remove a testicle due to swelling and there has been no reported case in medical uralogy history of this happening, however that is how they won the case and we could not show negligence on the doctor. WTF. That is just wrong. I leave with 1 testicle and they blame it on swelling??? Their sick.
tk
Trust me tk, I am totally with you. Kaiser arbitration and their screwy decisions are ridculously and DANGEROUSLY rigged. We had clear cut proof of Kaiser negligence on three separate occasions and had an excellent expert witness who was absolutely appalled at how negligent they were and the “judge Diaz” STILL decided in their favor. Highly, highly suspicious. By the way…our judge had been arrested years ago for picking up a prostitute so he was probably desperate to make a living and with kaiser, he went to the right place. He is out of Sacramento too. You can read all about HIS ordeal here:
http://www.iswface.org/images/Judge-arrest-prostitute.jpg
Let’s not forget the blatant perjury and twisted bogus stories from kaiser witnesses that goes on in kaiser arbitrations. I called one out, (we’ll call her a “witness” but I have other words to describe her) on her lies right there in front of Diaz and he apparently didn’t clue in that perjury is illegal because he just looked the other way. And how about those vanishing and tampered medical records? I guess that’s legal too in Kaisers alternate universe.
Donna& Jack
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I read everybody comments and my problem seems small compared to some. I had a Vaginal Hysterectomy and from the surgery, I have nerve damage and rt side weakness. If you lost your case and the other cases that was mention above. It looks like I do not have a chance. Do you think I would be wasting my time with this. Please people give me some feed back. I need to do something in Oct.
I am a non Kaiser physician from Massachusetts potentially joining this organization, and objectively it seems that these problems are more with the medical system itself, rather than with Kaiser. Kaiser is an easier target because it is so big. If you think the problems mentioned above are scary, you should see what I see as a medical insider. Believe me when I say Kaiser does not hold the corner on the market of negligence. It is universal. Kaiser unlike other private practices does not provide incentives for their physicians to do more procedures. Whether you know it or not, this is a large source of complications and bad outcomes. As a for instance - a cardiologist saw a patient that came in for a slow heart beat. This physician stands to make money when he/she puts in the pacemaker. He/she ignores the fact that this particular patient’s heart rate is slow because of medications she is on. The pacemaker gets put in anyway. This patient then develops an allergic reaction to the tape on the dressing. The pacemaker wound then gets infected, and eventually the pacemaker itself. Within days, the infection is now in the heart forming an abcess. That is where we stand now.
I only point this out to show that there are far reaching problems that extend to all of medical practice. And while there still will always be bad outcomes, because nothing is perfect, I think at least some organizations make an effort to prevent that which is preventable.
Insurance companies do not want Obama’s reforms to go through because they are making tons of money with the current awful broken system. So fear tactics are employed. A website like this contributes to the fear tactics.
I am sorry for your loss, and if this was indeed preventable, we need to change our medical system so that this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
Robbie, is that you?
On the surface this comment by “Robert” appears to be a reasonable difference of opinion. The only problem is that this “non Kaiser Physician” happened to post it from a Kaiser Permanente IP address, specifically 162.119.240.100.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what is known on the internet as a concern troll–
And not a very good one at that. I’m sure you didn’t intend to reinforce negative stereotypes of KP physicians as less than truthful, but that is indeed the result when you post something like this without disclosing your true ties to KP.
We don’t oppose health care reform. In fact we are some of the biggest proponents of single payer universal health care (with private delivery) for all. What we vehemently oppose is Kaiser-style health care reform, and insurance companies killing people for profit. Big difference that.
Repost of a comment I wrote for the front page USA Today article about missing medical records in Beth Stover’s case:
Robert stated that “Kaiser unlike other private practices does not provide incentives for their physicians to do more procedures.” Well no kidding, I think the taped conversation that John D. Ehrlichman had with Richard Nixon about KP’s business model made that fact crystal clear:
Kaiser would like the public to believe there is no incentive for its physicians to deny medical care. But what Robert failed to mention is that the Permanente Medical Groups, which employ the doctors, are the FOR PROFIT third arm of the Kaiser Permanente triad (the not for profit health plan and hospitals being the other two).
The for profit Permanente Medical Groups receive payment from the health plan, and the percentage of those payments that makes it into the doctors’ pockets just happens to have an inverse relationship to how much care is provided. So no, there’s no memo line on the check that reads “For Medical Care Denied”, but the incentive is implied in the math. So let me repeat: the doctors essentially ARE Kaiser Permanente, and they are FOR PROFIT. See how Robert’s intentions for posting here suddenly seem so much more clear?
I want a fair trial when something bad goes wrong with a patient. If I could of went in front of a normal jury with my case which was a slam dunk case, I would of won, however the courts turned it down and put it into arbritation with kaisers little crooks where you never ever have a chance. I know doctors make mistakes, however when they do they need to be held accountable for the actions just like everyone else in this world. !!!!!!! When Kaiser is really at fault when people die, the families shouldn’t have to beg for $10,000 to $25,000 fucking dollars to bury their kids.
tk
tk,
Since Kaiser killed our Daughter, we had to have her cremated since we could not afford a burial. Actually, Kaiser will pay for cremation since it covers their tracks that much better. They won’t put up the money for a burial. And we all know what happens in kaiser arbitration, don’t we?
Admin,
I’ve got to say…your post above is one of the many reasons I love you. You are absolutely brilliant.
It is unfortunate for Kaiser that they are so transparently untransparent. They make themselves look foolish.
Do you remember the day of my kaiser depositions? There was also a highly snoopy lawyer from kaiser checking her facts with my kaiserthrive story posted on this website. That is very telling… when an organization this size is so very threatened by a group like us.
Personally, I find it flattering.
[...] received an interesting comment today, left by a Kaiser Permanente physician on Donna and Jack Berlin’s post about their son Sean’s death at Kaiser Walnut [...]
To the non-Kaiser Physician from Massachusetts I say this;
Kaiser may not hold the corner on the market of negligence, but they do hold it on refusing to admit they made a mistake.
Good providers of health care will admit mistakes, and learn from them. Donna and Jack deserved compassion from this organization, not the cold, indifferent treatment they received. Sean went to Kaiser to be treated and made better, and on the day he was to go home, he passed away. Yet they stick to their story that Sean was treated appropriately. This child had hospital acquired sepsis with the signs of it early enough to treat if someone had been paying attention. Why do you think this web site exists?
Exactly Kathy.
Dear non Kaiser physician from Massachusetts potentially joining Kaiser.How can a doctor just disappear in the last 4 hours of Sean’s life ? Sean was in need of medical attention he never received. Now that Kaiser has a paperless medical record THEY JUST HIT THE DELETE KEY how sad !
In addition to being sad, Jack, it’s criminal, or it should be. So sorry for your loss.
That doctor posted from Kaiser, he accessed via a Google search for “Robbie Pearl” (the head of TPMG), and his name just happens to be Robert. Makes you go hmm…
Hi Donna & Jack,
Condolences. I have lost a child as well many years ago. Kaiser sucks big time! I worked for State of Colorado and was ill with two separate problems but could not get dx. I finally finally wrote all over the Dr.’s copy of form :Kaiser is killing me and I want out. The Dr. saw this and said you seem angry and I replied No, I am f__ p.offed and want out of Kaiser. Long story short, I was told by Dept of Revenue State of Co that I couldn’t get out before open enrollment in November (it was July) but I persisted in raising hell and they were glad to be rid of me in July.
Tort reform is the worst. I also worked for CO Atty Gen and CO never does anything for medical malpractice vics. Now I see CA is just as bad or worse. We need a revolution not nationalized insurance. I anm too old but others are not. I know it sounds crazy, but we now have no government by and for the people and the medical reform will just euthanize many of us with the help of insurance companies and our government.
Donna and Jack,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Kaiser Permanente is a corporate vampire! The easiest way to say it is……they suck! Thrive? My Ass!
And by the way, why is there an ad for Kaiser Permanente health plans at the bottom of this page?
We don’t choose the ads, they are contextual and come from Google, and we have very little control over which ads show. We can block ads from specific websites, and we do as we notice them, but the insurance sellers game the system by constantly changing their web addresses because they know people try to block them. The scammers who sell the policies are just as dishonest as the killers they represent.
Kaiser Permanente did not preform an emergency c-section (the baby was in distress) with the birth of my daughter in 2003. My daughter suffered asphyxiation and now has been diagnosed with development delays E.G. speech, motor skills, etc.The concerns I reported to my daughter’s doctor had been downplayed until after the (Oregon malpractice) 5 year statute of limitations expired. The medical concerns reported went undiagnosed until after the 5 yr limitation.
Yeah- now I know why they didn’t allow video cameras during the delivery. During the most wonderful time of my life, I wasn’t thinking what’s Kaiser going to do to lower their expense. It’s sad that money is more important than my daughters well being.
Hell, they didn’t even do an apeaseotomy.
Kevin
I hate them, now theyre suing me for one months unpaid premium ($301)when the “care” I got there, I have no words for that kind of neglect. the lawyers calling me for this payment is prompting me to SUE them.. for their gross mistreatment.Virginia/D.C/MD area. my test results showed problems.. and everytime my doctor just said “oh its normal” when if taken to any other doctor they will see the problem. so I was NEVER treated for my condition. and was unable to work.where one of their doctors said there IS a problem..another two disagreed with his actual findings and said it was “all in my head” amazing!
We’ll being with Kaiser for 6 months has been hell. My daughter who was seeing a Johns Hopkins Dotor before company switched had her in Physical Therapy for Scoliosis, first visit to kaiser..she is cured, doesnt have it…the pain in her back is just to get out of gym class???? She has been dealing with this for 3-4 years!! My son, has sore throat…they wont schedule an appointment until he is tested at the lab first for strep. Okay take him out in 15 degree weather to have strep test at there lab, come back the next day as negative, he has a fever….nurse on phone says he doesnt need to be seen have him gargle salt water…I say he has white blisters in his throat…she says test is negative there’s nothing a doctors visit can do???? 3 days later I check ther web site and now his test says positive???? So my poor 7 year old is walking around with a fever and blisters in his throat cause there is nothing they can do??? They never contacted me. I hate this company!! Like I said its only been 6 months!!
Cris,
I would recommend getting out while you still can. They killed my Daughter because they were treating the way they usually treat, by denying care. Please save yourself a lifetime of grief and find yourself a new plan. Hate does not even begin to describe how I personally feel about Kaiser.
“Kaiser is not fixable. Not even the regulatory agencies (assuming they had an interest) can fix it. Not even President Obama’s health reform can fix it.”
obama is part of the problem, not the solution (i voted for him) but now see he is in place to implement the incestuous deal the feds have w/kaiser. why do you think bush mandated the emrs? why is the emr not something we have a choice about?
“I know it sounds crazy, but we now have no government by and for the people and the medical reform will just euthanize many of us with the help of insurance companies and our government.”
no you are not crazy. you are the only one so far who has it right.
i work for kp but plan not to for long.
i have a long story of a pneumonia ‘vaccine’ i was talked into in a weakened state of nonresistance (most sick people are in that state)and since that shot have been sicker than ever remember. had pneumonia for 2 wks after not for 37 yrs. now suddenly can’t walk or even stand up and missing work again.
they forced me to get a ‘doctor’s note’ after 3 days out sick when i had pneumonia. now will be asked for the same and don’t want to go. don’t trust the m/f’s.
whatever you do? don’t get any vaccines.
as an insider, tho not top level, i can say things ain’t good and regret it took me a while to figure it out.
my sympathy to all who have lost loved ones.
i just wanted to add to my previous post that i needed the doctor’s note after 3 days out but was actually out of work for more than 2 weeks, not just 3 days.
I needed to sue CA. Medical Board not making bad doctors accountable. Anybody knows any good lawyers in California?