According to KVPR
Kimberly Hernandez, Division Director of Health Services with Kern County Public Health, pointed out that in the last decade, the county’s maternal mortality rate has improved relative to the state average.
“Between 2009 and 2013, the pregnancy related mortality rate in Kern County was about 82% higher than the average across California,” she said. “Between 2016 and 2020, which is the most recent data we have available, that difference is now down to 13%.”
The concern is that a micro focus on the treating physicians will have a political bent. A pure scientific investigation will focus on population genetics, population behaviors, random distribution as an explanation of data and other factors that potentially minimize physician wrongdoing and can be viewed as “blaming” the population. Politically looking at risk factors created by or inherent to the patient is frowned upon. Statistical analysis on a sophisticated level is often ignored as it is too complicated for the general public and often beyond the scope of expertise of investigators. If it looks like a blip maybe it’s a blip!
It is a fact that no physician, no lawyer, no professional can escape a biased audit that looks for failings and then attributes them to physician or lawyer or professional as outside the scope of normal variation in practice quality. But in reality every patient gets a different level of care based upon a myriad of factors. Only a totality of the circumstances analysis can present the full story. Micro focus with scapegoating is often the result of politically driven investigations.
Kern county maternity professionals/care givers, physicians can benefit from a Medical Board maternity death investigation that addresses the big picture. Sadly, in most cases individual physicians are targeted and major change does not take place.
Our physician defense team includes Daniel Horowitz and Mark Ravis who is both a currently licensed physician and attorney.
If you are a Kern County physician who needs help, Click the Photo below to access our Confidential Intake form.
The post Medical Board Investigation of Kern County Maternal Deaths appeared first on Lawyers In Lafayette.