ER Explores Malpractice: Who's Right & Who's Wrong?

Last week's ER was partly a continuation of the storyline that began two weeks ago as we saw Dr. Kovac being sued for malpractice by former ER patient Curtis Ames, played by actor Forest Whitaker.

In case you're just catching up, Ames presented in the fictional County General ER with a cough. He was there for a number of days, never got a room, and eventually ended up collapsing with a debilitating stroke. In the previous episode, we got to see flashbacks to what happened from three viewpoints: Ames, Dr. Kovac, and Nurse Chuny Marquez. Naturally, each of them remembered what happened differently, and it was interesting to see that unfold.

Last Thursday, the verdict was finally in, and I watched, torn in two, as Ames saw his dreams of justice go down the drain right in front of his two little kids. But, unlike Mr. Ames' character, who only has only the point of view of what happened to him that faithful few days in the ER, we viewers have gotten to know Dr. Kovac and nurse Chuny over the years. We know them to be flawed but kind folks. From our distant view, we know they probably did all they could with the resources they had at the time. And, I, the happy viewer, was glad to see Dr. Kovac win out.

Now, to me, this storyline gives us a poignant view of how wrong something can go during that trip to the ER.

We've all been there, you walk into your local ER and up to the desk. They ask you a slew of questions, eyeball you a bit, and then hand you a mountain of paperwork to keep you occupied during the vast number of hours you'll probably be sitting there. Unless, of course, you are brought screaming in on an ambulance and strapped to a gurney with a GSW (That's a gunshot wound for those of us who watch ER on a regular basis.)

In most emergency rooms you'll probably see the triage nurse sometime during the filling out of the paperwork. She (or he) will check all your vitals, like temperature and blood pressure, and determine how urgent your situation might be.

Then, when you are finally called back to be checked out by the rest of the medical staff, you may be lucky to see an actual physician for more than five minutes. Even though we know that it may not be necessary to take up any more of their time, it is still irritating. I've found it especially irritating when I have been in the ER with one of my kids, playing the part of the frightened and frazzled mother. It's hard to be rational when you or your loved one is bleeding or vomiting profusely.

If you have spent more than three hours in an emergency room during your lifetime, you can probably relate just a bit to how Curtis Ames must have felt as he waited and waited for someone to help him.

But, you can also see the point of view of the overworked ER staff who evaluated him and had to put him off in order to care for those they considered their more urgent patients.

This ER episode was wrapped up as Ames bursts into the ER to confront Kovac and accuse him of celebrating the verdict after it was read in court. He is dragged out by security crying, "I want my life back!"

Kovac follows and attempts to explain that he did all he could. Ames reveals that his pursuit of justice has cost him his marriage. Both men stand there, flawed, hurt, looking at each other. Kovacs tells Ames to contact him if he needs help with anything. Ames asks him to call him Curtis. They walk away. And, I was left with the feeling that neither of these guys was a winner.

Is our emergency medicine system as good as it could be? Maybe that depends on where you live. What do you think?

Related Topics: Things Your ER Staff Wants You to Know, What to Expect in the ER

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