According to some ex-employees of Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, the hospital, which is a part of the Saint Luke’s Health System, did not maintain proper cleanliness and repair of its operating room instruments. Shockingly, some rusty instruments were even used during surgeries, posing a serious risk to patients’ safety. Additionally, the hospital failed to address a persistent problem with bugs, including cockroaches, in and around the operating room, which is unacceptable for a medical facility.
The former head of the hospital’s Sterile Processing Department made several complaints against the hospital over the course of Sunday and Monday. These complaints were filed with various organizations, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Joint Commission, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The hospital authorities have dismissed the allegations made against them, stating that their sterile processing department is top-notch and equipped with the latest technology. In fact, they went through an extensive $8 million renovation in January to ensure that their facilities are state-of-the-art. Moreover, the hospital has invested nearly $7.5 million since 2021 in acquiring new instruments that undergo a rigorous 14-step sterilization process before use. Clearly, the hospital takes the safety and well-being of its patients seriously and leaves no stone unturned in providing the best possible care.
According to the accounts of former employees, the problem doesn’t lie with the physical system, but with the operating room staff who hindered the sterile processing department in adhering to the best practices.
In the complaint submitted to the EEOC on Monday, Elizabeth Bell expressed her concerns regarding the sterile processing practices at Saint Luke’s. She stated that these practices posed a significant risk of harm to both the employees and patients, and could potentially compromise the hospital’s accreditation.
In her tenure as Saint Luke’s first Sterile Processing Manager, from September 2022 to July 2023, Bell was unfortunately terminated. She strongly feels that her firing was in retaliation for bringing up concerns about sterilization.
As of now, Bell serves as a team leader for sterile processing at the Mayo Clinic located in Phoenix. According to Bell, the contrast in the safety culture among various hospitals is like night and day.
On Tuesday afternoon, journalists were invited by the hospital staff, including Dr. Michael Main, who serves as the Senior Vice President at Saint Luke’s and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Luke’s Physician Group, to tour the sterile processing department located at 4401 Wornall Road. This invitation was extended after reporters reached out for comment on Monday.
Main emphasized that they take the matter very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation. Despite this, he mentioned that they have already inspected the processes and facilities and found no evidence to support the complaints. Main also expressed disbelief at the idea of non-sterile and rusty equipment being used in the operating room, stating that it simply does not make sense.
With several years of expertise in the sterile processing industry across various hospitals, Bell was a valuable addition to the team at Saint Luke’s. She brought with her almost 15 years of experience, making her a highly skilled and knowledgeable professional in her field.
According to her observations, some of the most appalling instances she came across involved the utilization of faulty and fractured instruments on patients, an insufficiency of instruments crucial for performing imperative surgeries, and negligent cleaning of instruments in between procedures.
According to Bell’s EEOC complaint, doctors insisted on using instruments that did not meet safety standards on a daily basis, despite having access to newer and safer instruments. This demand from the doctors was made despite the potential risks to patients.
According to the complaint, patients who underwent surgery at Saint Luke’s were subjected to the use of instruments that were chipped, rusty, cracked, dull, broken, obsolete, and bent. This is an alarming situation, and it raises serious concerns about the quality of care provided to patients at the medical facility. Such negligence can have dire consequences for patients, and it is imperative that steps are taken to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.
According to her, equipment that is rusted or damaged cannot be effectively cleaned in accordance with federal and state regulations.
In Bell’s complaint, she raised concerns about the use of homemade instruments by some operating room surgeons. She pointed out that these instruments did not come with cleaning protocols and were not FDA approved, which made them unsuitable for use. Additionally, she accused the hospital of neglecting to monitor and report breaches in sterilization practices to patients. According to her complaint, the hospital claimed that they were too busy to scan these items into their tracking system, which is worrisome from a patient safety perspective.
According to her, there were instances where cockroaches, flies, and other pests were discovered in areas that were meant to be sanitized, including an operating room.
According to Bell, she came across a photo of a tiny insect that was discovered inside a parcel of sterile equipment that had been delivered to an operating room. She even shared the photo with The Star as evidence.
According to a concerned individual, Saint Luke’s is facing a severe pest problem. Despite raising the issue multiple times and even consulting a pest control expert, the problem persists. The pest control person claimed that they cannot spray anything for the bugs as it might pose a threat to the safety of the patients in the area.
According to The Star, Bell expressed how disturbed she felt about the situation. She emphasized that hospitals cannot afford to take the risk of improper sterilization procedures as it could lead to fatal infections for patients. Bell believes that it is imperative for hospitals to prioritize the safety and well-being of their patients above everything else.
During her time at Saint Luke’s, Bell presented a range of potential solutions to address the issue of instrument sanitation. These included bringing on more staff to handle the task, reducing the number of daily procedures to allow for proper cleaning between each one, and scheduling patients based on the availability of specific instruments.
According to her, the majority of her suggestions were ignored by the hospital.
According to the EEOC complaint, Ms. Bell discovered that her steadfast dedication to maintaining sterile processing compliance was not reciprocated by the operating room (OR) staff or surgeons at Saint Luke’s. Ryan McClelland, an attorney in Liberty, is representing Bell in this matter.
The EEOC complaint reveals that when she suggested changes, certain male operating room doctors were resistant and referred to her proposed sterilization process as a “burden.”
According to the complaint, multiple incidents occurred where surgeons at Saint Luke’s OR verbally abused and cursed at Ms. Bell in front of other staff members. The complaint alleges that the hospital had no intention of addressing the longstanding culture of non-compliance within the OR. In short, the hospital failed to take action to improve the situation.
According to Bell, she brought her concerns about the hospital’s non-compliance to the attention of Saint Luke’s director of employee relations on March 15th. Additionally, she disclosed that she was experiencing constant bullying, harassment, and threats from male doctors, and that she was not alone in this experience as other women had also been subjected to similar treatment.
Bell expressed his frustration by stating that he had reported it several times. However, the more he reported it, the more he felt mistreated.
The EEOC complaint stated that Bell was terminated from her job in July following her report to hospital management about a surgeon who had spoken to her in a manner she deemed inappropriate and abrasive.
According to an email from May 9th, which was shared by Bell, a surgeon who worked in the operating room contacted the hospital’s director of surgical services. They had found out from staff at other medical centers that the Kansas City location was the only one that conducted an initial cleaning of used instruments in the operating room before sending them to the sterile processing department.
The surgeon wrote, “I have a suspicion that this is not helping with turnovers.”
According to the director, it has been a regulatory requirement for at least a decade to clean instruments in the room at the point of use. However, Saint Lukes Hospital has not fully adopted and implemented this practice yet. Nevertheless, the director mentioned that all hospitals will soon adopt this practice and put it into effect.
According to Stacie Herrera, a former employee of Saint Luke’s Sterile Processing Department, she voluntarily left her job. However, she expressed feeling pressured to leave due to her vocalization of concerns.
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