A child died after a procedure. Why was CHOP blamed? | Philly Health Insider
Plus, Jeff’s culture changer-in-chief
Good morning. Today, we explore the difficult questions raised by a four-month Inquirer investigation into a pioneering procedure developed at CHOP, offering an exclusive look inside the trial-and-error process that comes with medical advancement. Plus:
Vibe check: How Jeff is working to develop a cohesive culture at its network of hospitals
Finding respite: A Montco charity is opening a Poconos retreat center for cancer patients
Comparing notes: Philly doctors are swapping strategies to treat tranq wounds
📮 How should doctors and hospitals address risk and consent with newly developed procedures? For a chance to be featured in this newsletter, email us back.
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— Aubrey Whelan and Alison McCook, Inquirer health reporters, @aubreywhelan and @alisonmccook.
What does “low risk” mean to a family trying to decide whether to try an innovative procedure — when the alternative to that procedure could be death?
This is among the big questions raised by an Inquirer investigation into a life-saving procedure to treat plastic bronchitis and other lymphatic disorders, invented at CHOP more than a decade ago. Plastic bronchitis, which is often fatal, causes lymphatic fluid to leak into lungs and clog airways. Doctors from CHOP and Penn developed a minimally-invasive procedure that plugs the leaks with medical-grade glue.
It’s been hailed as a breakthrough for kids who often had little chance of survival. But these procedures can come with serious complications. Eleven children have died in the days after the procedure, and at least five families have accused CHOP and its doctors of downplaying the risk of death and strokes when pitching parents on the procedure.
CHOP described its lymphatic procedure as “low risk” as recently as early last year, when its webpage was updated to remove the section discussing risks and potential complications. Now, the webpage says nothing about potential risks.
Our coworker Wendy Ruderman spent four months probing previously undisclosed problems inside a program that CHOP touts as the world’s best. Her reporting revealed doctors accusing one another of unsafe practices, and parents unaware of their child’s risk of bad outcomes. And in a recorded call, you can listen to CHOP doctors telling the parents of a boy who died: “We are so, so sorry.”
Read her full report on how medical breakthroughs can also result in devastating losses for the very people they’re trying to help.
The latest news to pay attention to
How does a health system create a cohesive culture across dozens of hospitals? That’s a key question at Jefferson Health, whose affiliated hospitals tripled from three to 32 in under 10 years. Sarah Gantz interviewed Jeff president Baligh R. Yehia about his vision for streamlining operations while holding onto the quirks that make individual hospitals special, like community gardens and an annual fashion show.
When Chester County grade-schooler Nathan Koenig struggled with reading and writing, he was diagnosed with a learning disability. But the problem was actually with his eyes: He had a motor deficiency that made it hard to follow a line of text. Alison takes a deep dive into vision issues often missed in school eye exams, and how parents are advocating for more comprehensive screenings.
Philly-area doctors are comparing notes on the wounds caused by tranq, or xylazine, the animal tranquilizer contaminating most of Philly’s illicit opioids. Aubrey attended a weekend conference organized by Rothman Orthopaedics, where doctors shared stories and treatment strategies from this worsening crisis.
The ERs at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital closed for three hours on Tuesday because a technical issue shut down imaging services. Patients were diverted to other hospitals.
Today’s big number: $15 million.
That’s the total amount of funds that For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation has raised to open a respite center for cancer patients and their families in the Poconos.
The Montco charity recently received a $3.5 million grant from Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program for the project, which is aimed at helping families take a break from scans, tests, and doctor’s appointments for a few nights.
Right now, For Pete’s Sake can host up to 10 families in hotel rooms as part of their respite program. Their new facility, at Woodloch Resort in Hawley, is set to open in 2026 and will be able to accommodate up to 64 families.
Each week, we highlight the results of safety inspections at area hospitals. Up this week: Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in West Philadelphia.
The state Department of Health did not find any safety problems there during inspections between February and October.
Want to avoid the “health-care rabbit hole” of trips to urgent care and specialist visits? Lean on your primary care physician during a health scare, writes Penn internist Jeffrey Millstein.
Millstein recalled the experience of a friend’s daughter, whose symptoms sent her to a series of urgent care clinics and student health centers that often recommended follow-ups with specialists — a costly, time-consuming, and confusing process.
A PCP can help patients better navigate these health issues. “On-demand telemedicine, urgent care, in-store clinics, and online resources [...] work best to supplement rather than replace a relationship with a primary-care clinician,” Millstein writes.
Making moves
Kert Anzilotti has been appointed president of the medical group of ChristianaCare, the Delaware-based health system’s primary and specialty care network. He had been its interim president since June, ChristianaCare said in a news release.
Anzilotti, a physician who previously served as chief medical officer at ChristianaCare and lead its department of radiology, will also continue in his position as system chief medical officer.
Artificial wombs for preemies? A Center City biomedical company is betting on it, and just got $50 million in funding to test the idea in humans.
So far, Vitara Biomedical has only used its incubator alternative in animals, and found that fetal lambs can live and grow in the artificial womb for up to 28 days without harm. Check out Alison’s story for more on this technology, which may feel like science fiction but is all too real.
📮 Do you think artificial wombs will be a staple in NICUs in the near future? For a chance to be featured in this newsletter, email us back.
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