St. Bernard Hospital Malpractice & Violations

Ratings from state and federal governments ensure that community members can find excellent healthcare agencies in their area. These ratings assess a hospital’s quality of service, including their adherence to industry standards.

Violations indicate that a hospital fails to serve its patients, putting them at risk of medical negligence or malpractice. Those mistreated at medical practices have the right to seek compensation, and Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help.

Our team of Chicago medical negligence lawyers is ready to hold hospitals accountable for their failures and recover funds so that you can recover in comfort.

About St. Bernard Hospital

Overview

St. Bernard Hospital serves Englewood community residents at 326 West 64th Street, Chicago, IL 60621. This 174-bed hospital offers emergency, urgent, and specialty care, including dentistry, cardiology, obstetrics, orthopedics, physical therapy, and behavioral health.

St. Bernard Hospital has mobile health units to provide medical care for children who cannot visit the hospital. Here, children can receive immunizations and learn about the importance of preventative medicine.

It is also home to the Center for Better Aging, serving Chicago’s elderly population, and performs annual work in community outreach and education. Some of its programs include the Heart Gala for cardiac health and an annual Community Baby Shower for low-income women.

This hospital serves a more diverse population than other Illinois hospitals and provides significant charity care [1]. Over 80% of its inpatient population uses Medicare or Medicaid, the two most commonly used government insurance programs [2].

Ownership and Affiliations

St. Bernard Hospital’s legal name is St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center Chicago. It was founded by the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph and is sponsored by Catholic Health International (CHI).

Also known as Catholic Health Partners, this organization sponsors 30 hospitals in the United States and Canada, including St. Bernard Hospital, St. Joseph Residence in Wisconsin, and Aspirius Langlade Hospital in Wisconsin [3]. It oversees several religious hospital associations, including for-profit corporations.

Reputation and Performance

While St. Bernard Hospital was celebrated for its high Leapfrog hospital rating last year in 2023, that grade did not last. Recent updates from Leapfrog, a healthcare watchdog group, show that the medical center dropped from an “A” to a “C” in 2024 [4].

St. Bernard Hospital has a 1-star quality with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is below average [5]. However, according to US News and World Report, it is high-performing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment [6].

Notable Legal Actions Against St. Bernard Hospital

Medical Negligence Resulted in a Child’s Death

In 2017, Charlene Moore was in labor with her son, Darone Bush, when she was given Cervidil. This medication is contraindicated for women having a vaginal birth after a previous C-section.

The doctor in charge of her procedure, Jamiere Smith, M.D., had been suspended by the licensing board three days earlier, but she continued overseeing medical procedures despite this.

Because of complications during the delivery, Moore’s son was born with brain damage and died at only 10 months old. She filed a lawsuit in December 2018, and a Cook County jury awarded Moore over $19 million in a wrongful death lawsuit [7].

Treatment Delay Led to Wrongful Death

Dorothy Jones filed a lawsuit with Chicago wrongful death lawyers on February 19, 2019, on behalf of Doris Banks at St. Bernard Hospital in 2017. Banks was admitted to the hospital after complaining of dizziness, but the physicians failed to document her hypertension. She suffered cardiac arrest several days later and could not be revived [8].

Malpractice by Forcibly Administering Medication

In 2013, an unnamed complainant was admitted to St. Bernard Hospital after complaining of hearing voices. He was given numerous psychotropic medications without his consent, including intramuscular injections, despite asking not to be injected. The complainant was also restrained without his consent.

The Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission investigated the complaint and agreed that the hospital administration violated the patient’s human rights, demanding they perform a full internal review and retrain their staff [9].

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at St. Bernard Hospital

Only 40% of patients would recommend St. Bernard Hospital, which is 26% lower than the state average [10]. In addition, only 40% of respondents to a patient survey agreed that they understood their aftercare instructions on discharge, which is lower than the 50% state average and 52% national average [11].

According to Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, this hospital has a high Clostridioides difficile infection rate of 1.126 [12]. The average-performing hospital across the country has a rate of just 0.455, meaning that patients at this healthcare center are over twice as likely to get a severe bacterial infection. C. difficile can take weeks to heal, and in some cases, it is fatal.

People admitted to the St. Bernard Hospital emergency room spend about 286 minutes in the hospital before discharge, compared to the 192-minute state average and 170-minute state average [13].

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade also gave St. Bernard Hospital a low score for hospital staff responsiveness. This facility scored 65, only a few points higher than the worst-performing hospital [14]. Poor responsiveness can mean that people cannot get pain relief quickly, cannot use the bathroom in time, or cannot voice their concerns about their treatment plans.

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence occurs when doctors, medical residents, and nurses fail to uphold standards of care in their practice area. Depending on the severity of the negligence, this can lead to medical complications or death.

Examples of medical negligence can include:

• Surgical Errors – This includes doctors amputating in the wrong place, cutting a blood vessel, or leaving foreign objects in an incision.
• Medication Errors – Giving a patient the wrong dosage or drug can create severe issues like low blood pressure, allergic reactions, or death.
• Failure to Diagnose – When medical staff fail to identify symptoms, order the correct tests, or correctly interpret diagnostics, this can lead to critical delays in treatment that may worsen a patient’s condition.
• Improper Care – Not providing aftercare instructions, discharging patients early, or ignoring their concerns are all improper care.

A medical malpractice attorney can assist victims of medical negligence by negotiating with the hospital for fair compensation. We will investigate the incident, issue demand letters, and speak to third parties on your behalf.

If necessary, our Chicago-based law firm will take St. Bernard Hospital to court, where we will present the evidence to a judge and jury to receive a settlement.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

The medical negligence statute of limitations in Chicago, IL, is 2 years after the date of injury, meaning that victims must act quickly. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing unless we can recover compensation.

To schedule your free consultation with an accomplished attorney, call us 24/7 at (888) 424-5757 or use our online consultation request form today.

References: [1] US News and World Report, [2] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [3] Catholic Health International, [4] NBC Chicago, [5] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [6] US News and World Report, [7] WJTV, [8] Cook County Register, [9] Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission, [10] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [11] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [12] Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, [13] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [14] Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

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.