Unlicensed students performing X-rays at Kaiser Permanente S.F.

Another case of retaliation for reporting illegal practices at Kaiser:

I hope you can take interest in my horrible experience with Kaiser.

UNLICENSED STUDENTS DID YOUR X-RAYS at SF KAISER HOSPITAL.

I was a x-ray student at Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Program at Richmond CA.

When I was interning at the SF Kaiser Hospital, I was told by the x-ray supervisor and students’ preceptor, Ron Sapalo to perform x-rays on patients without supervision, – which was against the California Health Code.

Students like myself were working on fluoroscopic equipment in surgery and giving doses of x-rays to patients WITHOUT any supervision. Students did average 70% of hospital x-rays. I counted exams daily. Kaiser’s paying x-ray staff is not working and they want students to work for them. This is a serious matter.

During one meeting with Ron Sapalo, he stated to me that I was not doing enough x-rays on my own – I told him that it was illegal to do so. Ron replied, “If you can’t work, we don’t need you around.”

I called the program director, Greg Wheeler immediate for a meeting to let him know that students were told to perform x-rays without supervision. Greg replied, “Do as you’re told.”

Two weeks later, I was dismissed from the program just 5 weeks away from graduation. Kaiser changed the reasons of my dismissal.

First, Kaiser claim that my attendance record when my attorney confronted them Kaiser changed their reason for my dismissal to lack of competency.

During the trial, Kaiser stated that they destroy all records that has initials of the person that performed the x-rays.

I filed a lawsuit agaist TPMG at SF superior court and jury found Kaiser breeched my student contract. But Kaiser’s attorney is appealling.