Lorie Brown, Nurse Attorney, discusses the Office of the Inspector General Exclusion List. She explains what it is, how it affects your nursing license and your ability to practice with Medicare/Medicaid patients. She also discusses what will get you on the List, tips to stay off the List, and the difference between mandatory and permissive exclusions. For more information read Lorie’s article at: https://yournurseattorney.com/medicaremedicaid-exclusion-list/
Hurricanes, Wildfires and Blackouts, Oh My!
As we in California are in the midst of the wildfire season, hospitals are preparing for power outages. When there is a wildfire in the area of a hospital, the power companies often plan to cut electricity to prevent more damage from the fires.
California law requires hospitals to have backup generators for critical care operations. However, a prolonged blackout can make it difficult. Also, of concern is people in homes who need medical equipment since a power outage could be catastrophic for someone requiring electricity generated equipment.
In fact, after a power outage in Florida during Hurricane Irma in 2017, 12 nursing home patients lost their lives due to the absence of electricity. As temperatures soared, they became overheated. Now the nurses and administrator there are facing criminal charges.
It is sad that the nurses are having to defend themselves in this matter as they work at the facility under adverse conditions while helping people in the middle of a hurricane rather than focusing on keeping themselves safe. They, along with other facility staff, rely on their facility to provide the necessary equipment and services for them to properly care for their patients. It will be interesting to see what happens from this.
Although it is tragic that these patients died, the Florida nursing home itself should have been required to have a backup generator to protect the health and safety of their residents. Laws should be in place to make sure our most vulnerable population is protected.
You may want to check with your facility to learn if you work in an area where a natural disaster could occur to make sure that it has adequate supplies, equipment and backup generators to take care of these patients and hospital staff.
Consequences of Criminal Charges on a Nursing License
Nurse Attorneys, Lorie Brown and Todd Ess of Brown Law Office, P.C., discuss the consequences of criminal matters on a Nurse’s license, this also includes other healthcare providers such as Physicians, Pharmacists, etc. The discussion not only includes matters before the Board of Nursing, but pleading guilty to a felony, accepting a diversion, as well as the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Exclusion List.
Starting a nurse-owned business
Nurses are uniquely qualified to start their own businesses in areas such as legal consulting, coaching, and home healthcare. In this article on American Nurse, Lorie Brown gives some tips to keep in mind if you’re thinking about starting your own business. [Read Full Article]