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From:   Barbara Peters[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
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".  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.
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.  
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 industry is so full of lies and deception that I don't know what to believe.  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.  Perhaps someone who has a law degree can explain it better than I.  
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 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.  Anyone know of any other companies that make decent breast pumps?  Please e mail me privately.  Barb Peters, RN, BSN