PUBLIC DECLARATION REGARDING

SCRIPPS CLINIC, GREEN HOSPITAL, LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

Laura Walther Nathanson M.D., F. A. A. P.

PACKAGE 5 

SUMMARY: 

I tried many routes to what I see as the problem with Scripps Clinic, and of course have documents of all of them.

Omitted:  1. My letters of complaint to Medical Board of California about involved M.D. physicians, and Osteopathic Medical Board of California about Walter B. Goff, D. O.  2. My letter of complaint to JCAHO, and their reply. My attempts to write and phone the American College of Radiology.  3. Multiple conversations with truly wonderful attorneys, Virginia Nelson and Andrew Albert.  I have included letters that they wrote on my behalf to the Scripps Administrators and physicians. 

I made it clear on all of these occasions that I was not interested in financial reimbursement, and that in fact I found the idea that I would be consoled or “made whole” by a money award utterly offensive.

My sole intent has been to try to get Scripps Clinic to recognize and clarify the problems that surfaced during Chuck’s mishandled experiences there. 

It is true that at one point my attorney asked me if any financial recompense would be acceptable, and I suggested a donation to the Torrey Pines Conservancy. Chuck loved the trails there, and Sara and I made a personal memorial donation to the Torrey Pines Docents. 

021 Letter to David Sobel, head of Radiology, concerning my visit to him; and his response.

022 Letter from Frank Panarisi, Scripps Clinic Board member and friend of Chuck, setting up meeting with Scripps Clinic Administrators

023 My account to my attorney of meetings in March, April, and May with Scripps Administrators: 

I report, first, that the “study” designed by Chief of Staff Brent Eastman, M.D., to validate the Radiology Department policies was set up backwards, and proved nothing. I suggested to the group that a simple, inexpensive review of Code 1 radiology reports would give the answers needed.

Second, I note that the next meeting of the group had been set for June 14. This would be after the one-year statute of limitations ended for filing a Wrongful Death suit against Scripps. and after the  performance of the new“experiment” designed to  clarify MAFI. 

I had suspected that the only reason the Administrators had agreed to meet with me was to buy time until the Statute of Limitations expired. When they presented, with some fanfare, a “study” that in no way addressed the issue, I was confirmed in this suspicion. On May 18, I asked my attorney to file for a 90 day extension of the Statute of Limitations. This kind of extension had been created at the request of the defendants in malpractice suits, in order to provide more time for discussion before the institution of a suit. 

However, the Scripps administrators refused to schedule any further meetings.

024 Letter to Glen Mueller, Scripps Clinic Auditor, who agreed to moderate this issue.

025 Letter from Glen Mueller, agreeing to clarify, May 6.

026 Andy to Chris Van Order explaining extension of statute of limitations.

027  Letter from Laura Nathanson to Frank Panarisi hoping for the best.

028  Letter from my attorney to Bart Hegeler, Scripps Clinic attorney, outline my “wish list” which he had asked my attorney to write.

029: Me to attorney: I am giving up further legal action; instead will be working on book.

Which of course I did, and on May 8, 2007, “What You Don’t Know Can Kill You” (HarperCollins) came on the bookshelves. However, I didn’t receive any response whatsoever, either to the book, or to my Op-Ed piece in the San Diego Union Tribune, or to an hour-long interview on KPBS “These Days.”  I finally decided that the reason for this silence was that I had not named names in any of these venues.

030 August 18, 2007:  My letter to all Administrators and physicians, saying that I plan to go public with names.

031:  Response to my letter, from Max Elliott, M.D, Pathologist, stating that:  1. The diagnosis of “Malignant Thymoma” made at Vanderbilt and MD Anderson was incorrect; 2. That his own biopsy diagnosis of CUPS was the correct one—implying that Chuck should not have responded to any treatment, and should have died much more quickly; and 3. Hoping that I would not “unblock” the names of Scripps Clinic and physicians, because they had given him the very best treatment.

032: September 5, my response to Max Elliott

033:  Hand-delivered letter to me from Scripps Clinic President, Larry Henderson, and President of Scripps Clinic Medical Group, saying that all further contact would not receive a reply. 

Return to Public Declaration