The Rushford Files is a site dedicated to giving a voice to victims and survivors of medical malpractice and arbitration abuse. This site was founded by Gary and Sharon Rushford. Gary Rushford had his right leg amputated above the knee in 1998 at Kaiser Permanente’s Santa Clara, California facility by Dr. Richard Lynn Frazier. A simple blood thinning medication was all that was needed as treatment for the condition causing the clot in the artery of his lower leg. At arbitration, Kaiser offered expert testimony that Gary had Buerger’s Disease, a disease for which there is no test and no treatment. Not one of Gary’s treating physician’s ever diagnosed Gary as having this disease, a fact the arbitrator knew, yet Kaiser’s attorney John Simonson convinced the “neutral” arbitrator retired Judge Alan Bolhoffer, that he did in fact have Buerger's. Immediately after procuring a win at arbitration Kaiser sent Gary to Stanford Medical Center where a single blood test diagnosed Gary’s true medical condition as *Anticardiolipin Antibody, a clotting disease easily treatable with blood thinners. This test was never done prior to Gary’s amputation, despite false testimony by Gary's treating doctors during deposition and at arbitration that all tests for a hypercoaguable condition had been done. Kaiser Permanente knows the truth. We know the truth. Our case shows the world just what kind of HMO Kaiser is. They know they did wrong and destroyed Gary's body. To this day, they have not admitted guilt or offered an apology. Their only statement to the press says they did every test for Gary but fail to mention it was only after they amputated his leg. We will continue our fight for justice. Injustice will not be the victor here. *The Anticardiolipin Antibody test is a common test for patients who present with classic signs of claudication (blood flow obstruction). * The test kits Kaiser uses for this blood test are different from the test kits used by Stanford Medical center. Gary has tested positive for Anticardiolipin Antibody each time he was tested at Stanford Medical Center. Gary has never tested positive for Anticardiolipin Antibody at Kaiser Permanente. This leads us to ask the question: Does Kaiser use cheaper less effective test kits to save money at the expense of their members health and well being? What about all the Kaiser members who are tested each day for diseases such as cancer, HIV, diabetes? Are the test kits Kaiser uses for these tests also cheaper and less effective? Should you wonder if you were tested at Stanford for the same thing Kaiser has tested you for, would the results be different as in Gary's case? Would a correct test result save your life or limb? How many people must lose limbs, be made sicker, or die before someone takes notice and institutes change? |
