Report: South Florida Hospital Lacks Pediatric Open Heart Surgery Experience
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WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami) – Experts say a South Florida hospital lacks the experience to safely perform pediatric open heart surgeries.
Nine babies have now died after heart surgery at Saint Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
The program started at the end of 2011.
Using data from the hospital and the State of Florida, CNN calculated that from 2011 through 2013 the program's mortality rate for pediatric open heart surgeries was 12.5 percent. That is more than three times higher than the national average.
CBS4's West Palm Beach affiliate spoke with a man whose daughter died one month after undergoing surgery. He said it felt like the hospital was giving him information he wanted to hear, not what he was supposed to be told.
Saint Mary's disputes the mortality rate and sent a letter to employees challenging the CNN report.