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Shortly after midnight, little Taylor McCormack, 13 months old, was rushed to the emergency department of a Children’s Hospital. Her parents knew something was very wrong. When Taylor was born, she needed a shunt to drain fluid from her brain.

Now the shunt had clotted off and Taylor needed urgent surgery to restore the release of fluid pressure on her brain. The resident neuro-surgeon ran critical blood tests as he tried desperately to tap the baby’s shut. Taylor’s blood work was extremely abnormal - she had a high level of carbon dioxide - showing she was not getting enough oxygen to her brain. The attempts to drain the fluid were unsuccessful and Taylor’s condition deteriorated. The resident and staff both desperately tried to page the on call neurosurgeon, but they could not reach him.

At 6:20 in the morning, little Taylor went into respiratory arrest and died. The neurosurgeon had placed his pager on vibrate and had fallen asleep.

Taylor’s Law

The physicians involved in Taylor’s case were brought before the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for disciplinary actions; however, Taylor’s parents, John and Catherine McCormick were denied access to the proceedings. In May 2004, a new law was enacted in Massachusetts that allows patients and families access to disciplinary hearings against physicians. John McCormick, a police officer, fought hard for this legislation. The bill, brought forward by state senator Therese Murray - D-Plymouth- allows families and patients to make victim impact statements at the disciplinary hearing. It also lists letters of reprimand against physicians on the state board’s Website. Massachusetts is the first state to provide specific profiles on its Website with the intention of helping patients make the “right health care decision”. (Reference a)

Tip

To see a profile on Massachusetts’s physicians, log on to http://profiles.massmedboard.org/Profiles/MA-Physician-Profile-Find-Doctor.asp

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