While it is most humbling to be in this position, I would very much appreciate raising $75,000 to cover the retainer fee for my labor attorney, lawsuit filing and related costs, as well as my living expenses. By profession, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - albeit, currently unemployed. By nature, I am principled, empathic, compassionate, an agent of change, and an advocate for those in need, for those who do not as yet have a voice. While on a registry assignment in maternal healthcare in a hospital setting, I filed a child abuse and neglect report on behalf of a celebrity mother who insisted upon breasteeding her premature, compromised newborns who were placed into neonatal intensive care following their birth due to a diagnosis of withdrawals because of exposure in utero to opiates. Following the birth of the newborns, the mother was reported by nursing staff to be self-medicating with unidentified medications the mother brought from home to the hospital, that the mother was also taking medications which were prescribed to her during her hospital stay, and that the mother was drinking alcoholic beverages in her hospital room. The nursing staff filed reports that the mother at times presented as disoriented and unable to follow child-care directives. In that the newborns were premature and being treated for withdrawals, there was concern about their continuing to be exposed to residuals of medication and alcohol in the mother's breastmilk if the mother were to breastfeed. However, neither the nursing staff nor I received any support from the presiding physicians, the Director of Maternal Healthcare, nor the Nurse Administrator as pertains to our concern for the welfare and well-being of the already compromised newborns. We attributed this lack of support to a prevailing 'code of silence' which was exercised by the hospital administration when individuals of V.I.P. or celebrity status were admitted to the hospital. In deference to the celebrity patient, the hospital administration chose not to adhere to and implement its hospital policies, did not ensure that the medical and nursing staff exercised their oaths of patient care, and was not concerned that the healthcare staff was in fact compromising their certification. In effect, the work environment was unsafe, hostile, and discriminatory. In light of the work environment and in consideration of the health of the newborns, I took it upon myself to research the medications the mother was prescribed, combining the medications with alcohol, breastfeeding premature newborns while on a heavy medication regimen, breastfeeding premature newborns while on a heavy medication regimen and drinking alcoholic beverages. For the most part, the research did not support the mother breastfeeding due to the heavy medication regimen, the consumption of alcoholic beverages with the medication, the self-medicating of unidentified medications, and the compromised health of the premature newborns. I relayed my findings to the presiding physicians, Director of Maternal Healthcare, and Nurse Administrator with the hope that they would succeed in dissuading the mother from breastfeeding. This did not occur. As such, I informed all those with whom I had met that I was going to file a child abuse and neglect report with the Department of Family and Child Services on behalf of the newborns. Within a matter of twenty-four hours, I was dismissed from my assignment as Social Worker for Maternal Healthcare. In that I am a Mandated Reporter, I never anticipated that I would be released for having filed the DCFS report, for having done my job. In that I was recruited by the hospital for the assignment because of my professionalism, knowledge, and work ethics, I was in disbelief. I also came to realize that the nursing staff feared loss of employment if they implemented hospital policies and did not exercise preferential treatment to a patient of celebrity status. As a matter of principle and to ensure that another employee would not be dismissed for exercising hospital policies, I sought legal representation. However, my case was dismissed by the Court because my initial attorneys did not file a whistleblower complaint with the hospital prior to filing the lawsuit even though the hospital gave the attorneys an additional six months in which to file the whistleblower complaint. I am of the perception that the hospital did not want any adverse publicity, therefore made an arrangement with my initial attorneys so that they would not file the whistleblower complaint in a timely manner. I shall never know. However, the judge who dismissed the lawsuit stated that I had recourse - a malpractice lawsuit against the original attorneys. While very much disappointed and disheartened by the judgment, I would like to have the opportunity to file a malpractice lawsuit against the original attorneys. Perhaps with my malpractice lawsuit filing, the original attorneys will be more inclined to follow the law with respect to their clients. In the interim of learning the judgment, I filed complaints with JCAHO, an entity that does hospital accreditation, who in turn cited the hospital for nine violations; and, I filed a complaint with the Board of Registered Nursing. Since my dismissal, the hospital Nurse Administrator and the Director of Maternal Healthcare have resigned; and, the hospital Mandated Reporting Policy has been revised wherein not only Social Workers, but all accredited hospital healthcare employees are now mandated to file adult abuse and child abuse and neglect reports. Even though the journey has been emotionally and financially challenging, I have depleted all financial resources, I am grateful that JCAHO held the hospital to task and hopeful that the work environment is a bit safer and less hostile, that all patients receive the same standard and quality of healthcare. Thank you for your consideration and support on behalf of newborn advocacy and myself. I do appreciate!
Mela Ferrer, LCSW
