OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center Malpractice & Violations

When you or a loved one needs care, you expect the hospital to prioritize safety, quality health services, and strict compliance with healthcare standards. Unfortunately, violations and deficiencies can happen, sometimes leading to medical malpractice or negligence, which can cause patients to suffer serious harm.

If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to know your rights. If hospitals and healthcare providers violate the standards of care, they must be held accountable. A Chicago medical negligence attorney from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you navigate the legal process, recover compensation, and get the justice you deserve.

About OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center

As one of Illinois’ major healthcare providers, OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center has served the community for many years. Here’s what you should know about this facility.

Overview

OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center is a comprehensive healthcare center located at 812 North Logan Avenue, Danville, IL 61832. It is a not-for-profit Catholic hospital with 174 beds that provides extensive support and care for adults and children. These services include emergency, primary, maternal, rehabilitation, and cancer care.

It is also involved in the community by providing OSF Peace Meal services to adults over 60. It has 135 affiliated doctors.

Ownership and Affiliations

Sacred Heart Medical Center is a part of the OSF Medical Group, whose mission is to provide care that aligns with Catholic principles. It has 16 hospitals, 211 primary and specialty care clinics, 39 urgent care locations, and two colleges of nursing across Illinois and Michigan. [1]

Reputation and Performance

Sacred Heart Medical Center is 15% less likely than the state average to be definitely recommended by patients [2]. Its quality of care is high-performing in treating one condition (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) [3].

Its Medicare rating is 1 out of 5 stars, but not all data is available. The available data is mostly in line with state averages. Likewise, Medicare patient surveys rank it as below average. [4]

Notable Legal Actions Against OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center

One notable lawsuit against this health center was filed in February 2023. It describes several alleged incidents and retaliation for complaining.

Wrongful Termination and Patient Care Violations Lawsuit

Lisa Comrie, a former staff member of Sacred Heart Medical Center, filed a lawsuit against the hospital, saying she was fired in March 2022 for speaking up about practices that allegedly jeopardized patients’ health, lives, and rights. [5]

She claims that the remains of indigent patients or those whose bodies were unclaimed stayed in the morgue for months until they started to liquefy. She also sued the hospital for the way it treated the remains of an obese patient whose body could not fit through the morgue door.

Comrie found a funeral home that could accommodate the remains, but because of the home’s inability to transport the body, Comrie and the hospital president assisted in its transport.

The 22-page lawsuit also mentions a case where a patient was discharged from the hospital, although he pleaded that he could not walk and, therefore, leave. He was placed in a wheelchair, taken to the sidewalk, and assisted up. When he didn’t go, they called the police on him.

The police officers were concerned about the patient, who wasn’t breathing. CPR was performed, and the patient was brought back inside, but he died that day.

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Sacred Heart Medical Center

Profiles from Medicare and the Illinois Hospital Report Card show that not all measures are available. The available numbers [2] show the following:

• Inpatient mortality is within state averages for all tracked conditions except for pneumonia.
• The inpatient 30-day mortality rate for pneumonia was higher than the state and national averages.
• It had six Clostridium difficile infections in 2023, within the state and national averages.
• 1% of its staff completed COVID vaccinations, lower than Illinois and national averages. [4]

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider, such as a doctor or a nurse, fails to provide the standard of care expected in a hospital setting and harms a patient. This negligence can occur due to poor decisions, lack of concentration, or improper procedures.

Hospital negligence can endanger the health and lives of patients. Common types include:

• Surgical errors – Operating on the wrong site, leaving instruments in the body, nerve damage, anesthesia errors, and even wrong patient surgery.
• Medication mistakes – Giving the wrong medication, incorrect dosage, or failure to check for allergies or interactions.
• Diagnostic errors – Missed, delayed, and wrong diagnoses that lead to injury or death.
• Improper care – Failure to treat, delaying or rushing treatment, and not informing patients about the treatment.

Medical negligence lawyers specialize in understanding complex medical cases, gathering evidence, working with experts, and proving where the hospital and staff went wrong. They can also negotiate with insurance companies and help you recover medical bills, the cost of health devices, rehabilitation, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

Don’t let the statute of limitations on your medical malpractice claim run out. If you or a loved one was harmed at Sacred Heart Medical Center, let us help hold them accountable so you can start your healing journey. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is a Chicago personal injury law firm with decades of experience handling medical malpractice cases.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is a Chicago-based firm that proudly serves clients across Illinois and select cases nationwide. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorney team is here to help you navigate your case and fight for the compensation you deserve.

We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay anything unless we recover compensation for you. Call (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation, or fill out our online form.

References: [1] OSF Medical Group, [2] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [3] US News, [4] Medicare, [5] News-Gazette

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.