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Consumer Affairs

Kindred Hospital

Arlington

Consumer Complaints & Reviews

Carol of Irving, TX on May 17, 2011

Kindred Hospital in Arlington Texas (Tarrant County) did not protect patients, visitors, and employees from the infectious disease of tuberculosis. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) cited Kindred Hospital with a serious violation in September 1, 2009. Inspection # **. Report ID **.

There were several deficiencies that were repeatedly ignored by the administration. For example, there was no self- closing device on the TB patient's door on the second floor. A tuberculosis patient, standing in the doorway, could have sneezed and released 40,000 droplets. One single bacterium could have infected a man, woman, or child standing or walking in the hallway. TB bacteria can live in your body without making you sick. Tuberculosis kills more than half of its victims if left untreated. Shockingly, Kindred implemented renovations in administrative offices and the lobby while disregarding requests for a self-closing door for an isolation room. Carelessly, they could have caused intense human suffering and death.

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. is a healthcare services company. Their hospital division operates 89 long-term acute care ("LTAC") hospitals in 24 states. Their company stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KND. Due to Kindred Healthcare's money, power, influence and high-powered attorneys, they successfully deleted their serious violation from OSHA's record. This is a crime against humanity. Is it any wonder that our health care system is more sick than the patients it treats ?

Carol of Irving, TX on Oct. 10, 2009
A profit driven health care industry can place more emphasis on making money rather than protection against infectious diseases. Tuberculosis is a contagious disease and often deadly. When a person with active TB cough, sneeze, speak, sing or spit, they expel infectious aerosol droplets. 40,000 droplets are released in a sneeze. Just one single bacterium can cause a new infection. TB bacteria can live in your body without making you sick. One in ten latent infections will eventually progress to an active disease. TB kills more than half of its victims is left untreated.

Kindred Hospital in Arlington did not follow CDC guidelines. NO self-closing device was on the TB patient's door. An anteroom was not available since the patient's bathroom door was a few feet from the main hallway. Employees and visitors in the "isolation room" wore surgical masks which are not effective in preventing inhalation of droplet nuclei. As a nurse, I received a fit testing, but I was not given a respirator with a proper air filter. It's estimated that the US has 25,000 new cases of TB each year. If you think you were exposed with TB disease, you should call your doctor and local health department about getting a TB skin test. Although I just committed career suicide, I can sleep well at night.

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