Date: 28 October, 2002
Time: 00:29:38
Test of new guestlog
Date: 28 October, 2002
Time: 00:31:38
Test of guestbook
Date: 15 November, 2002
Time: 08:36:11
Dear Ralph and Stephanie,
It is painful to read the details of the tragic and unnecessary death of your beloved son, Seth. I cannot imagine, then, the pain and circumstances of this terrible event for you.
I am an old friend, Ralph - your poker buddy from Central High in Pueblo, Ray Keen. I just happened to find your website, not knowing anything about what had happened to your son. I am so sorry. God bless both of you for fighting the destructive, uncaring medical and legal systems.
I am presently in Wuerzburg, Germany, with my wife, Kemme, who teaches for the Dept. of Defense Dependents Schools here. I am a semi-retired school psychologist working on the completion of a volume of poetry. We have a 19 year old son at Berkeley, and a married daughter in Miami, contemplating graudate school in anthropology. Brother Vic lives with his wife, Jeanne, in Philadelphia.
I would love to hear from you. Keep up the good fight! My best to you and your two daughters.
Raymond
E-mail address: rpkeen@hotmail.com
Date: 26 November, 2002
Time: 22:24:06
Dear Doctor Speken and Stephaine, My heart goes out to you for your great loss and uncessary death of your son Seth. I for one thank you for fighting our corrupt legal and medical pofessions. Oh how familar your story sounds, the lies were never ending, one doctor lies and the other swears to it and so on... and so on. I know what it is like to fight these corrupt and lying conniving doctors, and the lawyers... I still can't believe the lies I heard come out of their mouths. I had a malpractice suit five years ago my self. A simple operation turn into a life time nightmare. I've been scared for life on my face and still suffer from the damage this doctor did to me. I also fought as much as I could . I won my case but the doctor is still in practice... and I hear day after day about his last victims. You know how it is... I'm not to tell or bad mouth.. this man.You should only know what he did. A butcher describles him well. I am so glad you were able to go as far as you have.You are fighting for us all. My resources were limited but I gave it my all. I would not conceed until I knew this man would be brought in front of the medical board. Big deal! They told me unfortunately not enought people go as far as I did and until they do they can't revoke his lisense. God speed to you both. I know you will Win! Seth and you are in my prayers.
Malpractice Victim
Date: 25 December, 2002
Time: 19:15:28
hello, I was searching the internet for legal malpractice cases, and saw your web site. My heart is with you. I agree with you that the legal system does not do any justice, it is all political and currupt. I also live in Riverdale, and I also suffer from chron disease, and I can understand how a young man could get depressed because of it. I hope that you will win your case against the negligent lawyer.
Date: 25 December, 2002
Time: 19:16:50
hello, I was searching the internet for legal malpractice cases, and saw your web site. My heart is with you. I agree with you that the legal system does not do any justice, it is all political and currupt. I also live in Riverdale, and I also suffer from crohn disease, and I can understand how a young man could get depressed because of it. I hope that you will win your case against the negligent lawyer.
Date: 06 January, 2003
Time: 19:14:46
Date: 23 February, 2003
Time: 15:08:05
my dad just died feb 4 o3 .. of 8 years of hospital care and skilled nursing home abuse this is some of the things that happened to my dad .. can you help me..Is this neglect in a hospital and nursing home if these things happened to my dad Many times came in home where he way wet and shit him self waited for hours then I cleaned him my self from then on I very waited for a nurse or aide to do this I did it my self.. Got a viruse that ate up his arm right one there is pictures you can see it. Got 2 blood clots from lying in the bed for weeks doing no exercise they gave him went to surgery place a green field filter in him.. They never reposition dad in bed or a chair he was in bed couldn’t do it him self so of course he got a bed sore from that. They never did exercise dad because they said he wasn’t alert enough to get therapy so we would move his legs arms and do it our self’s because they said no. I would say to them even people in coma’s you should move there arm’s and leg’s. They really never kept dad groomed and clean frank went every morning to do that , brush hair wash up . suction dad when needed. Clean sheet’s, lotion dad. Wash hair, frank blew up maning times at the nurses and aides about this . he said they look like bums sitting here can’t you even brush his hair.. was mad.. then in the latter part of the day I would come in and do th same for dad.. Water and food was all was place where dad could not reach it I never understood that one dad would’nt feed him self some times or get out of the bed could’nt walk so in the bed the tray would be over to the side . food then was cold. Frank was they for that one too and me say dad ate 35 % they write down 85% makes me sick.. Dad would get dehydrated lots of times.. you would have to incourage dad to drink or just remind him. And place it infront of him not some where he couldnt reach it.. One time I came in dads roon he was tied to the bed urine bottle on floor. He had no cloths on except for white t shirt . there was pee all the way up the shirt . but it wasn’t wet it was dry that what pissed me off. I yelled at the nurse and she told me your dad it’s the only person here who is sick .. shit hit the fan that day they made me sick.. Dad was on the feeding tube at this point frank seen in the hospital them throwing away bags of dads food. He ask them why they said I don’t know .. frank told me I called Kathy thompson told her she didn’t do much . I month a killing are dad went on there dad lost 40 lb became dehydrated there . He aspirated 2 times in the hospital.. Dad got the surgery to but the feeding tube in .. took him home 5 days latter went back into the hospital .. weak ,throwing up , belly hurt him he said .. his body was shuting down the doctor called me at work .. your father kidneys are shuting down he is a very sck man.. went to the icu room I called frank because they wanted to do emergency surgery we just lost our mom in may 22 02 so we didn’t want to lose dad so frank said go ahead and do it.. doctor ali came out and told us every thing went good but dad has a hole in this small intestin that’s why he got asepsis it was bad and he told us he was impacted in his colon so bad . sizes a small oranges and nuts that if he would of touch it it would of killed him so they were going to try to clean dad colon out.. he did ask us if dad ate any chicken bones and we said no.. at one point I talk to the doctor and said could of the surgeon poked a hole when they put the feeding tube in and he said it could happen .. I know that’s what happened to dad and that’s what stated this whole thing.. Dad fell of the toilet 2 times at heather hill. At somerset point he went in to a coma for like 5 hours when I was ther because there was blood in his cath. I ask about that they didn’t say much. I said I wanted him to go too the Cleveland clinic. So I went with him took 5 6 hours to get him there because they called so late it was bad . got there said he had a bad urine infection and when they pulled out the cath. Green pus came out .. they gave him antibiotics and got better.. Dad needed a suction machine so he wouldn’t asperate and they gave him one that was bad wouldn’t suck very much frank was mad because we had to do it.. nurses and aides didn’t do it. I don’t know why .. I think they should of pervaded us with one that work good.. dad needed that.. Dad in the last months stayed in bed all the time.. he just wanted too sit in a chair .. they never got him up I think 1 time it was allful to relie on some one to sit you up and they don’t he would tell us there going to get me up in a chair smiling away then they didn’t.. always at home he would sit in he’s lift chair he loved it just wanted to come home and do that.. Dad really couldn’t call the nurses for much sometimes the nurses button was not in reach that was weird too .. Dad would have oxygen on and go to a catscan and bring him back to room and they wouldn’t put his oxygen on they forgot they said so I would do it .. In 1 moth dad was brought to the hospital for impaction that got to be the problem . so they tried cleaning him out once again saying they got all except maybe up high in his colon . but they wanted to but a colostomy bag for dad said it would solve the impaction for him .. dad said ok lets get it over with so I can sit up and walk again.. I dnt know want really happened that surgery day talk to the dr he said he doest know either . but on the death cert. He but down hypotesion post op. and toxic mega colon .. Dad had to get 3 blood transfusions that day . no antibiotics given they brought him back 2 times I don’t know why they we said don’t do that .. im sure I for got lots of stuff and im still trying to remember home but in the 8 years dads had the worst care I can think of .. from cargivers, nurse’s, aide’s, doctor’s , hospitals and nusing homes .. some thing should be done.. to admit they treated dad wrong..
Date: 26 March, 2003
Time: 20:59:15
Dear Dr Speken ; I met you tonight in your current position , and I now understand why you feel the way you do and were glad to see me as an attending physician present in a psychiatric emergency room of SLRHC . I cannot even begin to comprehend the pain you and your wife and your daughter experienced as you saw your son Seth die Unfortunately , I can comprehend your anger , since my training was similar in many ways to your own , my ethics and indeed my practice style was influenced as well . Routinely , instead of the 8AM to 8PM shift I am supposed to do on a regular basis at Roosevelt Hospital , I stay on whatever is necessary to " clear the board " and my own consciencee that everything that is necessary is done for the patient . Now the staff cracks jokes about my seeming " inability to leave on time " , this in a system where when I was the 405 and covering both hospitals , I was physically present and actually covered both St Lukes and Roosevelt from 8PM to 8AM when my new shift began. Unfortunately , I am also the lone wolf in the pack to do what I consider to be my duty and my calling . The residents are glad that I am present , since there own inexperience is at least protected by my active presence , and not by means of a phone call like my colleagues ( sometimes at home ) . I even showed up in the Blizzard this year , admittedly fifteen minutes late , but I live in Bay Ridge Brooklyn near the Verrazzano Bridge and heading to Midtown Manhattan in and of itself was an accomplishmet . Know that there are many physicians who are like me , whom I graduated with , who like you are straight psychiatrists , instead of dually trained in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry . Also , as an Osteopathic physician who graduated from UHS-COM in 1993 , we were taught to take care of the patient and to take a good H and P , listen and observe , and then you will be an excellent physician Once again , I am sorry for your loss , and extremely honored to know you . I have placed this site on my own favorites in my home pc Yours in Healing Melanie Spritz DO Psychiatry and Internal Medicine Transgender Medicine Attending Physician CPEP/ Department of Psychiatry St Lukes - Roosevelt Hospital Center Attending Physician Emergency Room - Department of Emergency Medicine Lutheran Hospital Attending Physician Kings County Hospital Center - Department of Emergency Medicine Downstate Medical Center
Date: 23 April, 2003
Time: 18:57:14
The hospital clearly has responsibity in this episode for violation of restraint law and inadaquate withdrawl meds. However, Dr. Speken, as any first year medical student knows, YOU DON'T TREAT FAMILY MEMBERS. Giving your son long term doses of xanax without consulting an unbiased outside psych MD was INEXCUSABLE ON YOUR PART DR. SPEKEN. Why did you use a short acting benzo such as xanax with it's short half-life and tolerence issues. What about a longer acting med such as klonipin? Additionally, your issues should be with the hospital and the attendings. Not a vendatta against a young intern. I presume you were an intern once yourself.
Date: 20 June, 2003
Time: 16:45:21
I just want to say I am extremely sorry for the terrible loss of your son. I have been through Xanax withdrawal, but had the good fortune of being cared for by caring and knowledgeble dr's. I beleive that most dr's take their patient's well being very seriously. After reading the day by day diary of the care given to your son I was SHOCKED! Also I cannot beleive that with your credentials they did not take any of your words of advice. Everyone involved should lose their license to practice medicine. I fell deeply for what your son went through as I know what hell Xanax withdrawal can be. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.
Date: 13 July, 2003
Time: 23:24:11
You prescribed addictive medications to your son? quack
The writer should review the distinction between
"addiction" and "physiological dependence"
Date: 03 March, 2004
Time: 19:59:29
I'm a nursing student writing a positional paper on restraints and happened onto your website while researching this topic. So sorry for your loss. Your story puts into reality the importance of my future job as a nurse. Of all the information I have, yours is the only one that focuses on the graphic effects of what restraints can do. Thank you for the information. If you have any further sites or resources to read please EMail me at craftyoky2aol.com - Judy Oconnell
Date: 10 March, 2004
Time: 06:10:38
Hi Again Dr.Speken, I am extremely sorry for your loss and even more sorry that the courts responded in the way they did. Sadly, I (and countless other disinfranchised Americans) expect the sort of position that the hospital took -however it is very sad and frightening to hear that the court backed them up. Thank you to both you and your wife for standing up not just for yourselves (and your son's rights)but for the rights of everyone who have faced (and are facing)similar injustice.I am also very sad to hear of your loss as I wasn't aware of it.Please accept my very late, but very sincere condolences. Valerie Miller
Date: 01 May, 2004
Time: 21:53:40
I just happenned to come across your website while searching for information on the Libby Zion case. I first would like to send my deepest condolences in regard to your son, Seth. I am outraged by your ordeal. Recently, my wife was almost killed by the neglegence of one of the doctors aparently involved in the Zion case. He allowed a resident to perform a routine procedure on my wife, but neglected to inform her first. She was under the impression that the doctor would be leading and the resident would be observing. The resident screwed up terribly, but rather than address the mistake, the doctor covered it up with the hope that my wife's body would heal before anyone would find out that something was wrong. He took a gamble with my wife's life and almost lost. As a result of his actions, she was internally bleeding for about thirteen hours before another doctor recognized the gravity of the situation and ordered an emergency blood transfusion. Three transfusions later she was rushed into surgery to fix the damage inflicted upon her by the doctor's neglegence. She has ongoing physical and emotional distubances as a result of her ordeal and I also have significant emotional disturbances. I am left with a huge amount of anxiety, but an equal amount of anger at the medical community for allowing doctors of this calliber to continue to practice, even after previous red flags have been risin about them. I just hope that we as a whole can make the necessary changes to help prevent others from experiencing ordeals like ours. Although my wife and I have been left with certain problems, we were lucky in that she survived to tell her tale. We were also lucky to have learned this lesson early in life; she was 23 and I was 22 at the time. I just hope that if enough people take the time to open their mouths and voice their experiences, the right people will hear them. Thank you for your time.
Date: 04 July, 2004
Time: 18:18:44
To whom it may concern: I am trying to find out what procedures I need to take to pursue a medical malpractice law suit. Thankyou for your earliest response. My email address is cprivate@mail.com
Date: 21 July, 2004
Time: 08:41:18
Our only daughter died nine months ago today as a result of gross medical negligence. These days are dark for my husband and I. I find your website with your son's story to be a beautiful way to ensure that his death is recorded and counted for. It is too easy for these deaths to be brushed off. Like you, we have our own issues with the medical and legal aspects of this journey. We are doing what we can to fumble through it. We, too, feel that it is critical to "teach what you know" and to that end, we are in the process of building a website to tell Zoe's story. Please know you are in our thoughts. Wishing you peace, Brenda and Ken Stoltz Leesburg, VA
Date: 19 August, 2004
Time: 11:48:39
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Date: 24 September, 2004
Time: 03:49:15
Date: 26 May, 2005
Time: 08:23:36
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Date: 10 December, 2004
Time: 21:53:25
My prayers for your family. I am an ex-RN and came upon your site while searching for further information regarding the Libby Zion case. I read the book The Girl Who Died Twice and wondered why the vital signs alone were not enough to have Libby Zion placed in ICU and monitored much closer. The high pulse rate combined with extremely low blood pressure, increased respirations, and an extremely high temperature... well, in my opinion those vital signs were actual measures that should have lit up lights in any practicing physician (and as a nurse, I would have monitored them more frequently even if not ordered to do so). ABGs should have been done immediately, yet I saw the chart for am orders didn't even include them. What an unnecessary tragedy, as was your son, Seth. I find it such a contradiction that nurses in training are identified as such in their clinical practice as students - yet doctors are not. I worked at a teaching hospital in Omaha, NE for a time and my responsibilities included team leading on an ortho-neuro floor (weekend 12 hour night shifts). As an RN, we were NEVER to call the attending doctors, but were instructed to call first year residents. One night I had a patient who obviously was having an acute heart attack. I knew the protocol for immediate orders (O2 sats, SL nitro, and a tranfer among others), but when I expected the doctor (1st yr. resident) to order them - he was in the patients bathroom trying to look up the information on what to do. The patient was failing quickly and a quick transfer to the unit was vital. Luckily, the intern was agreeable when I quickly requested the appropriate orders and I was able to take action quickly. However, I have worked with many doctors who respond as the physicians did in your case - they have what I call a "God" syndrome. If I, as a lowly nurse, would make any type of suggestion... such as "This patient verbalizes they have responded well to darvocet for pain relief in the past"... well, darvocet would be the one pain reliever NEVER ordered. I find this appalling considering the nurse is with that patient for hours every day and the doctor takes 5 minutes to evaluate them. Nurses (and aides as in Libby's case where the aide quickly reported a high temp that I feel should have been monitored much closer by the nursing staff during the night - ordered or not) can often see clearly what physicians disregard or remain unaware of. The physicians, or residents, in Seth's case clearly suffered from the "God" syndrome - they were in charge and because you suggested the appropriate treatment (and diagnosis!) - it was the last thing that doctor was going to do because they have to show THEY are in charge. It happens very frequently to nurses with small and large consequnces that directly effect the patient. I pray that someday the healthcare field will find better ways to train their interns/residents because errors that are deadly and AVOIDABLE should not take place so frequently in our world. There should be ways of making the healthcare field accountable for their actions and standards of practice. Although I disagree (strongly) with the psychiatric world's quick fix of medications rather than intense therapy in many cases - my heart goes out to you for the repercutions of the hospital attempting to place blame upon you when it is clear you followed ALL approved practices and have proof to back those practices up. Clearly the large medical facilities have the backing of big dollars and their own 'standard' for covering when they do indeed makes errors. This is an outrage. It is hard enough to lose a loved one, but add to that knowing it happened due to impropercare and ignorance, and then to be blamed for it simply to make the guilty persons appear less guilty (rather than accountable)... it leaves a person wondering what our healthcare dollars, which continue to grow increasingly higher are paying for???? My heart goes out to your family as well as the millions of patients treated who don't even have a clue as to the inadequate care they are most likely receiving. Sorry - just ranting my own feelings. an ex-RN
Date: 07 January, 2005
Time: 23:23:49
http://home.psouth.net/~chuck/polypharmacy.html
Polypharmacy did not kill Seth. What killed Seth
was struggling against illegally applied restraints. This led to Pulmonary
Emboli that killed him just as though a bullet had been shot into his head.
Date: 24 January, 2005
Time: 08:25:16
Dear Ralph and Stephanie, Your website is impressive. Cooperation of victims/families of iatrogenic neglect is organized in Europe. Is it possible to contact you by phone? Sophie Hankes, Netherlands www.nevemedis.nl
Date: 14 March, 2005
Time: 21:40:02
Dr. Speken:
I see the vendetta against the intern continues (re: Noah Berkowitz). I also see on all your "new" information, Dr. Berkowitz has not been charged. I am truly sorry for your loss. However, where is your role for prescibing a benzodiazipine to your son? You do NOT prescibe to family members. But I know you don't want to look at this issue.
The writer of this letter has not
understood the website. If there is any "vendetta," as the letter
claims, it is against the American system of healthcare delivery that covers up
truly awesome amounts of needless death.. As far as my role, the writer should
read "Columbia's Defense and Charge" from the Homepage. I did not
cover up any of my actions.
The basis of culpability in medical malpractice is called
"Proximate Cause." The writer of this letter should study this. When
applied to healthcare, it means that a physician must provide correct treatment
once the problem is known. If injury or death occurred because this treatment
was not given, whatever caused the problem is irrelevant. It was the
physician's negligence that was the Proximate Cause of injury or death.
Here is an example of how the doctrine of Proximate
Cause works: A father trusts his son and gives him the car keys. The son cracks
up the car and lands in the Hospital, dangerously injured. But the Hospital
permits the son to bleed to death without treating him correctly. The
Hospital cannot then claim shared responsibility by stating, "Well, the
father should not have given his son the keys." The fact is, it was
the Hospital's negligence that caused the death.
The writer of this letter is attempting to shield
the intern who lied ( and whose subsequent career demonstrated a capacity of
telling even bigger lies.) The "blame the victim" message
of the letter is the typical public relations ploy used to defend our decaying
healthcare system by those who are profiting from it.
Date: 25 May, 2005
Time: 13:58:05
Dr Speken: I am STILL waiting for your response. Has Dr Berkowitz been charged with a crime? Yes or no. Are you going to erase this too because you don't like the question?
In the United States, whether the
authorities choose to pursue lawbreakers "criminally" is largely a
political matter. Those with political influence all too often avoid criminal
penalties. As described in http://www. citizens-for-medical-safety.com there is an
incalculable amount of medical malpractice that really constitutes maiming and
killing in a manner consistent with the crime of reckless endangerment. Yet
criminal prosecutions against lawbreakers involved in the medical system are
almost unknown in the American legal system.
A good example can be seen in the investigation of
conflicts of interest by medical scientists at the National Institutes of Mental
Health (as reported by David Willman in the LA Times.) As far as we know,
none of those involved with breaking the ethical code of the NIH has ever been
charged criminally.
The information we gathered about Dr. Berkowitz's
activities while a student at the NIH and shortly after (described in Crimes
and Misdemeanors) was sent to the appropriate authorities in Washington. We
do not know whether there was an investigation or its outcome. Dr. Berkowitz no
longer lives in the United States. We were told that the civil case against
IMPATH was "settled and sealed."