Standard of Care Podcast

In late December 2017, Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught administered the wrong medication to a patient who subsequently died of an anoxic brain injury.  On March 25, 2022, a Tennessee jury found her guilty of gross neglect of an impaired adult and criminally negligent homicide.  Should providers – especially EMS providers – be worried that a medication error in the field could lead to jail time?  Is every treatment decision potentially a basis for not only civil liability, but criminal as well?  Nick and Samantha ask you to take your seat in the jury box as they discuss what actually happened.  Was this case truly just an “error”, or was there more to the story?  Given the facts as they were presented, and the law that applies to the case, would you have made the same decision? 
Please like, comment, and subscribe!    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Notes

In late December 2017, Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught administered the wrong medication to a patient who subsequently died of an anoxic brain injury.  On March 25, 2022, a Tennessee jury found her guilty of gross neglect of an impaired adult and criminally negligent homicide.  Should providers – especially EMS providers – be worried that a medication error in the field could lead to jail time?  Is every treatment decision potentially a basis for not only civil liability, but criminal as well?  Nick and Samantha ask you to take your seat in the jury box as they discuss what actually happened.  Was this case truly just an “error”, or was there more to the story?  Given the facts as they were presented, and the law that applies to the case, would you have made the same decision? 

Please like, comment, and subscribe!    

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creators and Guests

NA
Host
Nick Adams
Experienced Fire and EMS Captain with a demonstrated history of working in the public safety industry. Skilled in Crisis Management, Government, Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Fire Management. Strong healthcare services professional with a B.S. focused in Emergency Management/Homeland Security and a Masters in Public Administration from Jacksonville State University.
SJ
Host
Samantha Johnson
Senior Associate General Counsel at Grady Health System, a major public academic healthcare system in the U.S. My role involves advising on legal aspects of patient care, ethics, HR, compliance, and regulatory issues. I conduct training, draft and review legal documents, and represent the Health System in various legal proceedings, including guardianship cases in Fulton County Probate Court. I also focus significantly on Grady Health System’s EMS division, providing legal advice and hosting “The Standard of Care” Podcast on EMS legal issues. I chair the In-House Counsel Association of the Georgia Hospital Association and am a member of the State Bars of Georgia and South Carolina. I hold an MBA and MHA from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business (2014).

What is Standard of Care Podcast?

Back in EMT class there was one page in the textbook that covered legal issues in pre-hospital medicine. Our world is increasingly more complicated and as a result, one page just doesn't cover it anymore. In this podcast, Sam and Nick discuss important, relevant and modern aspects of EMS law that may have been overlooked in class.