Whistleblower’s complaints about St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City
A whistleblower claims sterile processing practices at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, 4401 Wornall Road, are out of compliance with federal and state regulations and create an immediate risk of danger and serious physical harm to its patients, according to written complaints she filed Sunday with multiple state and federal agencies.Elizabeth J. Bell, a former sterile processing manager at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, claims in her complaints that she was fired after making several reports of unsafe working conditions and unsterile practices at the hospital.She provided KMBC 9 Investigates pictures and video that she claims show bugs in and around the operating rooms and sterile facilities at the hospital. She also provided pictures of rusted instruments she claims hospital staff refused to remove for use on patients.“As I’m speaking up, I’m taking a huge risk,” Bell said. “My life has definitely changed from this experience, and I can’t say for the better.”St. Luke’s Health System Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Luke’s Physicians Group Dr. Michael Main denied Bell’s claims on Tuesday.“I don’t believe these allegations are true,” Main told KMBC.WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS FILED SUNDAYBell was hired as a sterile processing manager for St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City in September of 2022. She worked until July of this year. She was offered a separation agreement but did not sign it. Bell provided verification of her employment and a copy of the unsigned separation agreement to KMBC 9 Investigates.Bell on Sunday filed separate complaints with Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Joint Commission – an organization that issues accreditation to U.S. healthcare organizations.Bell, among her written complaints to the various agencies, claimed St. Luke’s refuses to remove damaged (broken or rusted) surgical instruments for use on patients, refuses to discontinue the use of custom-made surgical instruments not cleared by the FDA for use on patients, and refuses to provide a clean, safe, and sanitary environment due to a well-known pest problem in the operating room.Bell’s attorney, Ryan McClelland, also provided an email from an unnamed operating room surgeon to St. Luke’s Director of Surgical Services, copying the hospital CEO.The email claimed the “burden of cleaning instruments” placed on surgical tech staff. The doctor states: “We cannot have our techs spending 20-30 minutes pre-cleaning instruments. It leads to inefficiency, patient and staff dissatisfaction and ultimately decreased revenue.” KMBC 9 Investigates asked for a response from St. Luke’s Health System on Monday after receiving the complaints, pictures, and video from Bell’s attorney Ryan McClelland.Dr. Michael Main of St. Luke’s denied that the hospital would ever compromise proper sterilization in order to increase any profits.“Does it take time to do it right? Does that occasionally maybe slow things down a bit to make sure that patient safety is paramount? Yes,” he said. “Absolutely the case.”ST. LUKE’S INVITES JOURNALISTS ON A TOUR OF STERILE PROCESSING FACILITYMain, operating room manager Kathy Bowersox, and sterile processing director Ellen James showed KMBC 9 Investigates and other Kansas City journalists the 14-step process to sterilize and clean instruments on a tour of the hospital’s sterile processing facilities.They all said the hospital has multiple checks and balances to prevent any damaged or unsanitary instrument from use on patients. They also said any employee has a right to pull equipment if they believe it is damaged, even showing an area where tools are pulled from circulation if they’re suspected of being damaged.The hospital has spent $7.5 million on new equipment since 2021 and opened the new $8 million sterile processing facility in January of this year.Main said he hasn’t seen any bugs or roaches or any rusted instruments in use at St. Luke’s in his career at the hospital.“I’ve been here for 25 years as a practicing physician, never seen anything of this sort, so do I doubt it? Of course I doubt it. And I think anybody would after the tour that we just participated in today.”As for Bell’s separation from St. Luke’s, hospital staff declined to comment on the circumstances because its policy is not to comment on personnel matters. Meanwhile, Bell told KMBC 9 Investigates she is concerned for patient safety.“Would I want my own family to have an operation there? No,” Bell told KMBC 9 Investigates. “And, doesn’t everyone’s family deserve the same information?”Main said he has no concerns with anyone in his family getting a procedure at St. Luke’s and had complete confidence in the organization.“100%,” he said. “And in fact, both of my parents have been cared for in the St. Luke’s Health System on many occasions.” Meanwhile, Bell says everything she provided to KMBC 9 Investigates and to state and federal officials is accurate and still wanted to come forward.“As I speak up, I’m not only speaking up for myself, but for others, too,” she said. “I would say I don’t regret anything that I have done. Or anything that I will continue to do in my career to do what’s right.”If you have a tip about this situation, you think the public should know, email [email protected] hospital provided this full statement in response to Bell’s complaints:Re: Dismissal and claims by the former employeeSince this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment on this situation. We can share that quality, patient safety and clinical excellence are, and have always been, top priorities of Saint Luke’s Hospital. We are proud of our rigorous sterilizing process and the experts who collaborate closely every day to ensure our patients are safe.Our organization’s core values include transparency and a culture of advocating on behalf of patients and patient safety. At Saint Luke’s, we encourage everyone — regardless of their role — to speak up if there is an issue that needs to be addressed, as we want to take action to resolve any issue as quickly as possible. This is deeply rooted in our organizational DNA.In January 2023, we opened a new $8 million state-of-the-art sterile processing department. Since 2021, Saint Luke’s has invested approximately $7.5 million in instrument replacement and continues to replace or add instruments, as needed. We also follow a rigorous 14-step process for sterilizing, which is based on national best practices.In addition to our rigorous processes and protocols, we have multiple quality and safety checkpoints, including daily safety huddles and a multi-disciplinary team in the OR setting who inspect the instruments, with our surgeons as the final safety net in that process.Saint Luke’s is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, has a 5-star rating from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and received an “A” grade in safety from the Leapfrog Group for spring 2023.Saint Luke’s is in compliance with regulations and guidance of The Joint Commission (TJC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN).
A whistleblower claims sterile processing practices at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, 4401 Wornall Road, are out of compliance with federal and state regulations and create an immediate risk of danger and serious physical harm to its patients, according to written complaints she filed Sunday with multiple state and federal agencies.
Elizabeth J. Bell, a former sterile processing manager at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, claims in her complaints that she was fired after making several reports of unsafe working conditions and unsterile practices at the hospital.
She provided KMBC 9 Investigates pictures and video that she claims show bugs in and around the operating rooms and sterile facilities at the hospital. She also provided pictures of rusted instruments she claims hospital staff refused to remove for use on patients.
“As I’m speaking up, I’m taking a huge risk,” Bell said. “My life has definitely changed from this experience, and I can’t say for the better.”
St. Luke’s Health System Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Luke’s Physicians Group Dr. Michael Main denied Bell’s claims on Tuesday.
“I don’t believe these allegations are true,” Main told KMBC.
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS FILED SUNDAY
Bell was hired as a sterile processing manager for St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City in September of 2022. She worked until July of this year. She was offered a separation agreement but did not sign it.
Bell provided verification of her employment and a copy of the unsigned separation agreement to KMBC 9 Investigates.
Bell on Sunday filed separate complaints with Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Joint Commission – an organization that issues accreditation to U.S. healthcare organizations.
Bell, among her written complaints to the various agencies, claimed St. Luke’s refuses to remove damaged (broken or rusted) surgical instruments for use on patients, refuses to discontinue the use of custom-made surgical instruments not cleared by the FDA for use on patients, and refuses to provide a clean, safe, and sanitary environment due to a well-known pest problem in the operating room.
Bell’s attorney, Ryan McClelland, also provided an email from an unnamed operating room surgeon to St. Luke’s Director of Surgical Services, copying the hospital CEO.
The email claimed the “burden of cleaning instruments” placed on surgical tech staff.
The doctor states: “We cannot have our techs spending 20-30 minutes pre-cleaning instruments. It leads to inefficiency, patient and staff dissatisfaction and ultimately decreased revenue.”
KMBC 9 Investigates asked for a response from St. Luke’s Health System on Monday after receiving the complaints, pictures, and video from Bell’s attorney Ryan McClelland.
Dr. Michael Main of St. Luke’s denied that the hospital would ever compromise proper sterilization in order to increase any profits.
“Does it take time to do it right? Does that occasionally maybe slow things down a bit to make sure that patient safety is paramount? Yes,” he said. “Absolutely the case.”
ST. LUKE’S INVITES JOURNALISTS ON A TOUR OF STERILE PROCESSING FACILITY
Main, operating room manager Kathy Bowersox, and sterile processing director Ellen James showed KMBC 9 Investigates and other Kansas City journalists the 14-step process to sterilize and clean instruments on a tour of the hospital’s sterile processing facilities.
They all said the hospital has multiple checks and balances to prevent any damaged or unsanitary instrument from use on patients. They also said any employee has a right to pull equipment if they believe it is damaged, even showing an area where tools are pulled from circulation if they’re suspected of being damaged.
The hospital has spent $7.5 million on new equipment since 2021 and opened the new $8 million sterile processing facility in January of this year.
Main said he hasn’t seen any bugs or roaches or any rusted instruments in use at St. Luke’s in his career at the hospital.
“I’ve been here for 25 years as a practicing physician, never seen anything of this sort, so do I doubt it? Of course I doubt it. And I think anybody would after the tour that we just participated in today.”
As for Bell’s separation from St. Luke’s, hospital staff declined to comment on the circumstances because its policy is not to comment on personnel matters.
Meanwhile, Bell told KMBC 9 Investigates she is concerned for patient safety.
“Would I want my own family to have an operation there? No,” Bell told KMBC 9 Investigates. “And, doesn’t everyone’s family deserve the same information?”
Main said he has no concerns with anyone in his family getting a procedure at St. Luke’s and had complete confidence in the organization.
“100%,” he said. “And in fact, both of my parents have been cared for in the St. Luke’s Health System on many occasions.”
Meanwhile, Bell says everything she provided to KMBC 9 Investigates and to state and federal officials is accurate and still wanted to come forward.
“As I speak up, I’m not only speaking up for myself, but for others, too,” she said. “I would say I don’t regret anything that I have done. Or anything that I will continue to do in my career to do what’s right.”
If you have a tip about this situation, you think the public should know, email [email protected].
The hospital provided this full statement in response to Bell’s complaints:
Re: Dismissal and claims by the former employee
Since this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment on this situation. We can share that quality, patient safety and clinical excellence are, and have always been, top priorities of Saint Luke’s Hospital. We are proud of our rigorous sterilizing process and the experts who collaborate closely every day to ensure our patients are safe.
Our organization’s core values include transparency and a culture of advocating on behalf of patients and patient safety. At Saint Luke’s, we encourage everyone — regardless of their role — to speak up if there is an issue that needs to be addressed, as we want to take action to resolve any issue as quickly as possible. This is deeply rooted in our organizational DNA.
In January 2023, we opened a new $8 million state-of-the-art sterile processing department. Since 2021, Saint Luke’s has invested approximately $7.5 million in instrument replacement and continues to replace or add instruments, as needed. We also follow a rigorous 14-step process for sterilizing, which is based on national best practices.
In addition to our rigorous processes and protocols, we have multiple quality and safety checkpoints, including daily safety huddles and a multi-disciplinary team in the OR setting who inspect the instruments, with our surgeons as the final safety net in that process.
Saint Luke’s is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, has a 5-star rating from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and received an “A” grade in safety from the Leapfrog Group for spring 2023.
Saint Luke’s is in compliance with regulations and guidance of The Joint Commission (TJC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN).
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