Man Receives Kidney Transplant . . . Only To Develop Cancer From the Kidney

We have another story of a hospital implanting a cancerous organ. (For a prior such story, click here) Bob Warzel, 66, was given a new kidney a year ago only to learn that he now has cancer from the organ transplanted by the UNC Hospitals.

The diseased organ was acquired by Duke University Medical Center from a young man who died in an auto accident. Another patient received the second kidney, but his body rejected it — it was only then that the cancer was discovered. The Warzels complain that they were met with a wall of silence in trying to learn what happened. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA is now being used by hospitals to bar such admissions of culpability.

I have also seen this unintended use of HIPAA in depositions where the defendants refused to reveal incriminating facts on the basis of privacy.

For the full story, click here.

Kudos: Lauren Watson