***Barbara, what an interesting note you post. I am sure it will cause much
fodder for discussion among the many professionals here. A few comments.....
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 1997 12:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Pump Ethics, The Law and Federal Investigation
I am in charge of a large OB Dept. in a major city. I was shocked to =
find out that many of "my" nurses had been recruited to sell and rent =
breast pump products to our patients. An investigation ensued and about =
12 people lost their jobs because they had violated the hospital =
employee contract. Before it was over, the legal dept. of the hospital =
had also determined that many of our nurses had obtained their Medicaid =
provider status and were billing Medicaid for the rental pumps and other =
"gadgets" that they had determined were "medical necessities".
****This is a very interesting thing. Apparently, someone else also
determined they were medical necessities, as medical necessity forms must be
signed by physicians, at least in our state. Were the doctors who signed the
forms also involved, responsibility wise?
Home =
visits were also being made by these same nurses during their off hours. =
The hospital received complaints from patients who were offered home =
visits by hospital nurses and only realized at the end of a lengthy =
"consultation" that they were being charged $75 an hour for an elaborate =
sales pitch on everything from lanolin to foot stools and pillows.
***Was this the only help that was provided, or was breastfeeding assistance
also included? Just curious. How did the referrals get made? Were they all
Medicaid patients who received referrals? Did each nurse argue about who was
going to take which client? I, as a former OB and pediatric nurse, wonder
how I would have had time to actually arrange such things, ...the nurses
where I live have 5 mother/baby couples, and barely time to urinate during
their shift, never mind arrange complex business appointments, interactions.
However, perhaps you are more fully staffed than they are.
As a nurse manager, I felt betrayed by my own nurses and by the two =
breast pump companies who train their reps to sign up hospital nurses as =
inside sales reps. =20
****This is a very serious allegation, Barbara. I hear that you felt
betrayed by your staff, professionally. I am curious about this
"training" that you say took place. I would love to know more about this
training Was it formally organized? I have never heard of such a thing,
and am fascinated by this.
I have heard that there is a federal investigation looking at this right =
now, but do not know if there's any truth to it.
***This is also curious....I would love to know more about this. Please let
us know more.
This industry is so =
full of lies and deception that I don't know what to believe.
**** Which industry do you mean? The industry of pumps, or the industry of
formula and breastfeeding/artificial milk substitutes? I think it is unfair
to tar them with the same stick.... I am wondering if others have felt this
as well. I have not had this personal experience, but am curious as to
others who have feelings about this.
I do know =
that when lactation consultants started getting provider status and =
trying to "self-refer", they crossed a line that sometimes ends up =
landing people behind bars of the federal prison.
*** Has someone been prosecuted and is not imprisoned for this? oh dear.
Perhaps someone who =
has a law degree can explain it better than I. =20
The best proof of a conflict of interest is the ongoing debate on the =
subject. Our hospital no longer has lactation consultants....we brought =
all staff nurses up to a standard competancy in lactation...and are on =
our way to baby friendly status.
** I am assuming that you, of course, have created a staff then, that is
able to spend the required amount of time helping mothers and babies. I
have never seen a hospital staff where staff floor nurses were all equally
competent to help mothers breastfeed, especially in difficult situations.
This would be hard to do. How are you staffed? What is your patient to
nurse ratio?
I am looking for an alternative to the =
two GIANT breast pump companies who have created this mess.
I blame =them for the embarassment and terrible waste of time created by
their =
marketing programs that target staff nurses.
** Again, ..this is a serious accusation, Barbara. I am assuming that you
have facts and figures and names and places to back this up.
Anyone know of any other =
companies that make decent breast pumps? Please e mail me privately.
**** I cannot help but think that if conflict of interest is a concern of
your hospital (and if so, then more kudos to it and its administration for
holding a high standard up), then I am sure that they do not accept monies,
free formula, gifts, wings, building funds, parties, educational funds, ski
trips for the pediatric residents, etc, paid for by formula companies...as
this would be a ***********big********* conflict of interest as well...the
only difference is, that the people who would be on the receiving end of the
goodies would be the hospital and some other people. Yes? Interested in
your thoughts...and hoping that you stick around on Lactnet to see
lactation consultants who are true professionals.
Kathleen
Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC co-owner Lactnet,TLC, Indep. Consultant
http://together.net/~kbruce/kbbhome.html
LACTNET Archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html
LACTNET WWW http://www.telcomplus.net/~kga/lactation.html
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