AAtlanta Journal-Constitution

Article Case Research

The following is pertaining to a chosen article found in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, entitled "System was Deaf to Pleas; Mother Died." Each day patient's put their physical health and trust in the hands of health care providers. Unfortunately, there have been times when the physician's decision has caused harm to the patient or others. Enabling patient choice has been essential to palliative care. However, the choice agenda challenges one to question what palliative care will mean in the future (Choice and palliative, 2005). The following will discuss the major points, and the legal issues relating to the nature, sources, and functions of the law. In conclusion, it will discuss any recommendations that could have been made pertaining to the case in the chosen article.

The chosen article was about a case involving the Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta. Na Young was admitted to the facility for physically abused her mother several times. She had even stated to the physicians and nurses, if released she would kill her mother. The patients bother also pleaded with the hospital to re-determine the release because of her physical and mental behavior. The physician did not even take into consideration the patient's or brothers comments and still released her against their wishes. The patient demanded not to be released and rejected to sign the release forms. In 2005, Na Young with a history of psychotic behavior was released from the hospital. It was 12 days later on February 10, 2005 the patient immersed her mother with gasoline and set her on fire, which caused the death of Na Young's mother.

There was another incident where a patient was released from the same hospital. In 1990, James Calvin Brady, was also released from the same facility by the same doctor even though he was diagnosed as homicidal and suicidal before his release (Man Shoots 5, 1990). Just one day after released he went to the Perimeter Mall and opened fire killing one and critically injuring four other people (para. 1). The Department of Justice (DOJ) began investigating Georgia state hospitals in 2007. This was only after several articles in the paper uncovered dozens of deaths from neglect and abuse to the patients. The DOJ sent a 63-page letter to Gov. Perdue, detailing the hospital's substandard medical care to include discharging patients based on unsatisfactory assessments and inadequate care to the patients.

There were several legal issues involved in this article. The first issue that was committed was patient safety. This article and other articles revealed that several patients have died and been injured to inadequate patient care and inappropriate patient monitoring. The second legal issue was neglect