Thorek Memorial Hospital Malpractice & Violations

Every hospital should prioritize providing high-quality care and ensuring the safety of every patient. To measure this, state and federal governments rate hospitals and large medical centers to ensure they follow strict healthcare standards.

However, not every hospital performs well. Violations and deficiencies can be a warning sign of medical negligence or malpractice, which endangers patient lives.

You may be compensated for medical negligence or mistreatment at Thorek Memorial Hospital. A Chicago medical negligence attorney from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can hold this facility accountable for its failures and help you negotiate a fair settlement.

About Thorek Memorial Hospital

Thorek Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit community hospital in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

Overview

Thorek Memorial Hospital is located on Chicago’s North Side and has 218 beds. Its main campus is at 850 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613. It has two other locations: a nursing home and a separate acute care facility called Thorek Memorial Hospital Andersonville.

As a not-for-profit community hospital, Thorek offers progressive health care in several specialty areas, including behavioral health services, cardiology, general surgery procedures, dentistry, podiatry, neurology, and oncology.

Its physicians strive to use technological advances to cater to patients’ unique characteristics, including those with long-term conditions like diabetes.

Ownership and Affiliations

Thorek Memorial Hospital is a registered not-for-profit care facility that is not affiliated with a larger healthcare network. It offers an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)- a certified medical residency program associated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Reputation and Performance

US News and World Report rates Thorek Memorial Hospital’s patient experience at 3 out of 5 stars. It also performed below average in several categories, including heart attack treatment, heart failure care, stroke treatment, and knee replacement surgery [1].

The hospital does not have an overall rating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) because it did not report enough measures to the CMS [2]. Additionally, Thorek Memorial Hospital only submitted 21% of 99 patient surveys meant to identify patient satisfaction, which was insufficient to create a rating [3].

Thorek Memorial Hospital received a D rating from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, making it one of the worst hospitals in Chicago, IL [4].

Notable Legal Actions Against Thorek Memorial Hospital

Medical malpractice cases and legal actions are filed against many healthcare institutions as part of standard legal proceedings in healthcare delivery. Notable legal cases involving Thorek Memorial Hospital have included claims related to patient care.

Wrongful Restraint of a Psychiatric Patient

Despite claiming to offer progressive health care that considers a patient’s needs, this community hospital has been accused of mistreating vulnerable people.

In 2022, the Human Rights Authority of the Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission investigated Thorek Memorial Hospital for human rights abuses against a mentally ill patient, who is not named in the report.

The report found that physicians at Thorek Memorial Hospital forcibly restrained the patient, refused to discharge him upon request, did not explain his rights, and gave him medication without his consent [5].

Pharmacist Sells Medical Waste

Thorek Memorial Hospital pharmacy director Dr. Jia Li was found to be selling empty and sterilized bottles that once held COVID-19 vaccines on Craigslist, inviting buyers to “own a piece of history” [6].

While this did not directly harm patients, it demonstrates that Thorek Memorial Hospital did not properly dispose of medical waste, which could have resulted in someone misrepresenting the empty vials as vaccines.

Patient Suicide Resulting from Negligence

In December 2018, Carla Counts Allan filed a negligent supervision claim against Thorek Memorial Hospital after her relative, Amanda Counts Tanner, was found deceased in the inpatient psychiatric unit. She was supposed to be on close observation due to severe depression and suicidal thoughts but was able to end her own life [7].

Allan v. Thorek Memorial Hospital alleged that the hospital and its physicians failed to properly diagnose, monitor, and treat the deceased during her stay at the facility.

Failure to Diagnose a Condition Causing Disability

In 2017, Ellen Sims filed a lawsuit against two doctors at Thorek Memorial Hospital for failing to diagnose and treat subclavian steal syndrome and compartment syndrome [8]. These conditions occur when there is inadequate blood flow to a limb, causing pressure to build up at the site, causing debilitating pain and life-long disability.

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Thorek Memorial Hospital

Patients at Thorek Memorial Hospital spend approximately 182 minutes in the emergency room before discharge, 50 minutes longer than the state average for low-volume hospitals [9].

The acute care facility has a higher readmission rate than the national average: 16.4% of patients are readmitted at Thorek Memorial Hospital, compared to the national rate of 14.6% [10]. Additionally, this not-for-profit hospital’s 30-day mortality rate for heart failure patients is 12%, which is higher than both the state and national average [11].

While the hospital’s site claims that Thorek offers personal attention to every patient, reports suggest this is untrue.

According to Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, Thorek Memorial Hospital’s nursing and bedside care score was just 15, on par with the worst hospitals in the United States [12]. An average-performing hospital has a 74.69 score, almost 60 points higher than Thorek Memorial Hospital.

This inattention may be part of the reason for Thorek Memorial Hospital’s high fall rate. Its rate of patient falls and injuries was 2.006 incidents per 1,000 patients, the same as the worst hospitals in the country. Depending on a person’s overall health, a major fall can result in permanent disability or even death.

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence and malpractice occur when physicians fail to uphold established standards of care, harming a patient. Examples of medical negligence include:

• Failure to Diagnose – Missing clear warning signs of a potential health condition or failing to run the proper tests could seriously endanger a patient.
• Medication Errors – Giving someone the wrong dosage or medication type may lead to further complications.
• Surgical Errors – These can include operating on the wrong body part, severing a blood vessel, or leaving surgical instruments inside the patient.
• Improper Care – Not providing the person with aftercare instructions, failing to get informed consent, or ignoring patient history that might help diagnose an issue are signs of improper care.

When hospitals like Thorek Memorial Hospital fail in their mission of providing high-quality care, patients deserve compensation. Medical malpractice lawyers can hold hospitals accountable and negotiate with their insurance company for an appropriate settlement that covers a patient’s ongoing expenses.

We can investigate the incident’s specifics, including reviewing photos and medical records, and use evidence to negotiate a fair settlement with the hospital.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

The Chicago, IL, medical malpractice statute of limitations is two years from when the patient became aware of the injury. This short window makes it essential that those harmed by Thorek Memorial Hospital secure legal representation as soon as possible.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is a leading Chicago personal injury law firm that has helped thousands of clients secure millions in compensation for their injuries. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

To speak to an experienced medical negligence lawyer about your experience at Thorek Memorial Hospital, call (888) 424-5757 or complete our contact form.

References: [1] US News and World Report, [2] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [3] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [4] Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, [5] Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission, [6] Becker’s Hospital Review, [7] Cook County Record, [8] Cook County Record, [9] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [10] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [11] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [12] 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.