Joan Russell, a former admitting office coordinator at Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg, N.J., has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, accusing the hospital of firing her after she reported errors in patient records, according to an Express-Times news report.
According to the lawsuit filed against Warren and her supervisor Marsha Faden, Ms. Faden allegedly told Ms. Russell to ignore errors on patient information cards unless the errors were in health insurance information. Ms. Russell also accused Ms. Faden of knowingly ignoring errors in patient histories. Such action "poses the risk of creating medical records that lack a proper history, such as showing that the patient is diabetic, has a history of cardiac arrhythmias, is allergic to penicillin," the lawsuit stated.
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Faden limited Ms. Russell's administrative duties and threatened to demoted her. After Ms. Russell filed a formal complaint with the human resources department, she was fired on Dec. 1, according to the news report.
Ms. Russell is seeking monetary damages. Warren officials have not yet commented on the allegations.
Read the news report about the whistleblower lawsuit against Warren Hospital.
Read other coverage about lawsuits involving hospitals:
- California Hospital Settles Former CEO's Claims of Breach of Contract, Emotional Distress
- North Carolina's Haywood Regional Medical Center Pays Former CEO $150,000, Settles Lawsuit
- New York's Upstate University Hospital Asks Court to Dismiss Neurosurgeon's Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit filed against Warren and her supervisor Marsha Faden, Ms. Faden allegedly told Ms. Russell to ignore errors on patient information cards unless the errors were in health insurance information. Ms. Russell also accused Ms. Faden of knowingly ignoring errors in patient histories. Such action "poses the risk of creating medical records that lack a proper history, such as showing that the patient is diabetic, has a history of cardiac arrhythmias, is allergic to penicillin," the lawsuit stated.
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Faden limited Ms. Russell's administrative duties and threatened to demoted her. After Ms. Russell filed a formal complaint with the human resources department, she was fired on Dec. 1, according to the news report.
Ms. Russell is seeking monetary damages. Warren officials have not yet commented on the allegations.
Read the news report about the whistleblower lawsuit against Warren Hospital.
Read other coverage about lawsuits involving hospitals:
- California Hospital Settles Former CEO's Claims of Breach of Contract, Emotional Distress
- North Carolina's Haywood Regional Medical Center Pays Former CEO $150,000, Settles Lawsuit
- New York's Upstate University Hospital Asks Court to Dismiss Neurosurgeon's Lawsuit