Do you really KNOW your Physician?

There is a local free newspaper box close to my mothers place.  TBT {Tampa Bay Times} has printed this free paper for as long as I can remember.  Within the newspaper, are all the little tid bit things you might not otherwise see in a 'paid' newspaper.  It is why I love it.  Not that it is like, the Globe or Star Telegram or anything like that, what is printed in the TBT is fact.   Again, why I love this newspaper, and why I make sure someone in the house picks up a new edition anytime their car is headed in the direction of our local Publix. 

February 2009 Cover

There is always an interesting story to get caught up in.  News that wouldn't otherwise come to the surface.  Something new to learn, that you had not even known was going on in the community.

In the October 24th edition, I read a story that made me say.. out loud.. "Just who is at fault here, the teen or the educated adults".  Let me paint a picture of the story for you.... 

Putting you front and center of the story.

You are in the hospital.  Doctors come and go, this doctor for that problem and that doctor for this problem.  More than a few nurses come and go.  Someone is always talking to you {the patient} for one reason or another.  And that is just in the emergency room.   There is one physician assistance that stands out to you, a young good looking fellow.  He not only treats you, but others as well.  He has been in the ER before, and has checked in on patients he treated that are now admitted.  He is knowledgeable, and you find yourself liking him.  Listening to his advice.  Hanging on his every word of your treatment.  He is wonderful, and you are more then pleased with your treatment.  Yep, you will make it a point, to see this physician assistance again.  But, what if you learn that this "young handsome charming physician assistance" isn't what you thought at all?  What if he wasn't even a physician assistant, rather a normal every day teenager instead?

March 2006 Cover

On page 17 of the October 24th TBT* edition, the title "Teen walked in, got a badge and treated hospital patients"  catches my eye.  I read the story, which pretty much depicts what I painted for you above, and when finished I asked  "Who is at fault here, the Teen or the Hospital, physicians, Human Resource Personal, and the nurses"?  

The story tells of a young 17 year old boy, who walks into the Human Resource Office and gets a 'courtesy badge' after stating he worked for an medical office close by.  A report from The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration states, 'No one verified whether the teen even worked there or not'.

1st... Would you, as a mature level headed Human Resource Personal, call and confirm the status of one said individual?  

2nd... Is it really that easy to walk into a hospital, and simply ~  talk your position into life? 

Apparently it is, because this 17 year old boy did just that.  Not only once mind you, but he went back a second time, getting a badge for an Physician Assistant, stating it was his new position {that indeed it was}.  Thus Allowing him to treat patients.  Oh, it gets better, trust me.  The Human Resource Personal tells The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration that "she remembers changing his status to PA, but does not remember printing the badge".   A Quote from TBT states "The hospital did not call the medical staffing office to confirm Scheidt's claims."  

November 2010 Cover

The Hospital... Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee Florida.  The Teen... Matthew Scheidt, 17 years old.    As the story goes on, and it does go on, the teen had access to everything within the hospital.  That includes all {every single one of them} patient medical records, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, medical history, and anything {plus everything} you can think of.  Not only that, Scheidt preformed medical treatments.  Quoted from TBT who's source is The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration  "Scheidt preformed ear, eye and neurological examinations and listened to a patient's lungs while working the night shift for nearly a week in August.  He also restrained a combative patient, held down a pediatric patient who was being sutured, and preformed cardiopulmonary resuscitation correctly on a patient who later died from a drug overdose."

Wow.  Now that is one busy teen.  For one full week he worked at this hospital, and no one ever checked his credentials.  How happy I am, that I live no where near this hospital.  The out come so far?  State Officials charge the hospital for failing to protect patients from Matthew, the hospital sees approx 200 patients a day. The hospital is quoted, stating to The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, "We have corrected the process for issuing badges and verifying the credentials of hospital employees".   Mean while,  "Scheidt awaits trial on charges of impersonating a Physician Assistance, impersonation of a medical professional and practicing medicine without a license.  Both felonies".  As quoted from TBT. 

I am pretty sure; the next time I need to be seen at the ER, I am going to ask to see credentials of any physician, nurse, technicians, PA's, and Human Resource Personal who enter my Healthcare Circle.   It seems to me, that this hospital owes these unsuspecting patients, a Paid in Full statement of their bills.  In my opinion, they all failed to keep the oath taken upon completion of their medical training.   Oh, Matthew didn't wander on his own.. in TBT it states, and I quote "The Medical Director of the Emergency Department told the teen he could shadow a doctor for one day, but he needed permission from the medical staffing office.   He never produced an approval letter - nor was he asked to do so".

I don't know.. maybe tomorrow I will be a brain surgeon. {------ Clearly just a joke.  The story, however, is not.  Below are photos of Mathew, and some kind of court paper.