Butler v. Shorefront Jewish Geriatric Center, Inc.

33 Misc. 3d 686
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 14, 2011
StatusPublished

This text of 33 Misc. 3d 686 (Butler v. Shorefront Jewish Geriatric Center, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Butler v. Shorefront Jewish Geriatric Center, Inc., 33 Misc. 3d 686 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Marsha L. Steinhardt, J.

Defendant, Haym Solomon Home for the Aged (HSHA), moves to dismiss plaintiffs claim for punitive damages asserted against it pursuant to Public Health Law § 2801-d (2) and for an order pursuant to CPLR 3212 granting summary judgment in its favor dismissing the complaint in its entirety.

Now, upon the foregoing and oral argument on July 8, 2011 and due deliberation had thereon, the motion of defendant is granted in its entirety.

This is an action wherein plaintiff claims that HSHA violated Public Health Law §§ 2801-d and 2803-c predicated on 42 CFR 483.20 (b) (1); 483.25, 483.40 and violated 10 NYCRR 415.12 (a) (1); (c) and 415.3 (a). While plaintiff states that the action is also based in negligence, he adds that no claims sounding in medical malpractice are made against this defendant.

[688]*688Public Health Law § 2801-d (1) states, in relevant part, that “[a]ny residential health care facility that deprives any patient of said facility of any right or benefit . . . shall be liable to said patient for injuries suffered as a result of said deprivation.” As predicate for his Public Health Law cause of action, plaintiff claims violations of 10 NYCRR 415.12, 415.12 (a) (1); (c) (2); (e) and (m). Generally these sections provide as follows: section 415.12 requires that each resident shall receive, and the facility shall provide, the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with the comprehensive assessment and plan of care, subject to the resident’s right of self-determination. The facility shall ensure that a resident’s abilities in activities of daily living do not diminish, unless circumstances of the individual’s clinical condition demonstrate that diminution was unavoidable. (See § 415.12 [a] [1].) A resident having pressure sores shall receive necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection and prevent new sores from developing. (See § 415.12 [c] [2].) A resident with a limited range of motion shall receive appropriate treatment and services to increase range of motion and/or to prevent further decrease in range of motion. (See § 415.12 [e] [2].) The rules also provide that residents be free of any significant medication errors. (See § 415.12 [m].) The facility shall ensure that all residents are afforded their right to a dignified existence, self-determination, respect, full recognition of their individuality, consideration and privacy in treatment and care for personal needs and communication with and access to persons and services inside and outside the facility. (See § 415.3 [a].) Additionally, plaintiff claims that violations are also predicated upon 42 CFR 483.25 (c), which is equivalent to 10 NYCRR 415.12 (c), requiring that the facility must ensure that a resident who enters the facility without pressure sores does not develop same and that a resident having pressure sores receives necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection and prevent new sores from developing.

As part of his claims pursuant to the Public Health Law, plaintiff seeks punitive damages against HSHA. Public Health Law § 2801-d (2) states, in relevant part, that “where the deprivation of any such right or benefit is found to have been willful or in reckless disregard of the lawful rights of the patient, punitive damages may be assessed.”

In particular, plaintiff alleges that the moving defendant violated decedent’s rights by failing to provide wound care to [689]*689left foot ulcers and by failing to implement changes in Mr. Butler’s treatment plan to increase the frequency of dressing changes and include Silvadene applications to that foot. He claims that as a result of these failures, Mr. Butler’s wounds did not improve and became infected, causing sepsis, respiratory failure and death. Plaintiff also claims that HSHA’s staff violated Mr. Butler’s rights by routinely failing to assess for pain and, accordingly, administer pain medication. Plaintiff claims that the inability to manage Mr. Butler’s pain resulted in his loss of appetite, weight loss and further debilitation.

The records reveal that on July 15, 2003, while a patient at Maimonides Medical Center, decedent, John Butler, underwent a left common femoral artery to below-knee popliteal artery bypass with translocated nonreversed greater saphenous vein to provide revascularization to the left lower extremity due to gangrene on his left foot. Upon discharge on July 29, 2003, Mr. Butler, a 91-year-old man weighing 70.9 lbs, was admitted to defendant Haym Solomon Home for the Aged for short-term rehabilitation. Mr. Butler remained at HSHA until August 12, 2003 when he was transferred to Maimonides, where he died the following night.

Mr. Butler’s records from HSHA note that on admission he was emaciated with no complaints of chest pain or shortness of breath but congested on auscultation. His diagnoses included peripheral vascular disease, left foot cellulitis, left foot gangrene necrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and atrial fibrillation. The nurse’s note, on admission, indicates decedent had two stage IV ulcers with black necrotic tissue on the dorsal aspect of the left foot, one measuring 20 x 16 cm with scant serous drainage and one measuring 5 x 5 cm with no drainage; a stage IV ulcer to the inner left ankle with black necrotic tissue measuring 7x5 cm with no drainage; a stage IV ulcer on the left heel with black necrotic tissue measuring 11 x 7 cm with no drainage; a stage II ulcer on the sacrum with pinkish tissue measuring 3.5 x 1 cm with scant serous drainage. Stage IV ulcers are wounds where full thickness of skin and subcutaneous tissue are lost, exposing muscle or bone. The note indicates that Mr. Butler had gangrene to the dorsal aspects of all five toes on the left foot. According to the weekly pressure ulcer reports dated July 29, 2003 and August 7, 2003, Mr. Butler’s ulcers remained the same throughout the admission with the exception of the sacral ulcer, which decreased by .5 cm.

[690]*690At the time of his admission, decedent was taking, as prescribed, Megace, K-Dur, Protonix, Toptol, Lasix, Flovent and vitamin C. Mr. Butler was also kept on a course of the antibiotic Keflex, continued from his recent vascular surgery. The physician’s admitting/interim orders directed the staff to clean the foot ulcers and apply wet to dry dressings and to wash the sacral ulcer with normal saline and apply Silvadene and dressr ing at every shift. A gel cushion was ordered to be placed on decedent’s wheelchair. Physician’s orders on July 30, 2003 called for physical therapy six times a week for gait training, transfers, bed mobility, and balance and for two pillows to be used under decedent’s knee for positioning.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires nursing homes to complete the Minimum Data Set, which is a document that includes information about residents’ health, including their pain levels at various periods during their stays. According to section J of the Minimum Data Set, Mr. Butler experienced moderate pain, less than daily. Additionally, the physician’s order form from July 30 included Tylenol No. 3, two tablets orally every four hours, as needed, for pain.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Pultz v. Economakis
890 N.E.2d 880 (New York Court of Appeals, 2008)
Desiderio v. Ochs
791 N.E.2d 941 (New York Court of Appeals, 2003)
Zuckerman v. City of New York
404 N.E.2d 718 (New York Court of Appeals, 1980)
Winegrad v. New York University Medical Center
476 N.E.2d 642 (New York Court of Appeals, 1985)
Alvarez v. Prospect Hospital
501 N.E.2d 572 (New York Court of Appeals, 1986)
Giblin v. Murphy
532 N.E.2d 1282 (New York Court of Appeals, 1988)
Home Insurance v. American Home Products Corp.
550 N.E.2d 930 (New York Court of Appeals, 1990)
Morton v. Brookhaven Memorial Hospital
32 A.D.3d 381 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)
Kraycar v. Monahan
49 A.D.3d 507 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
Sheenan-Conrades v. Winifred Masterson Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
51 A.D.3d 769 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
Sullivan v. Our Lady of Consolation Geriatric Care Center
60 A.D.3d 663 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)
Kash v. Jewish Home & Infirmary of Rochester, N.Y., Inc.
61 A.D.3d 146 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)
Eckman v. Cipolla
77 A.D.3d 704 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2010)
Shapiro v. Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
84 A.D.3d 1348 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2011)
Frenya v. Champlain Valley Physicians' Hospital Medical Center
133 A.D.2d 1000 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1987)
Gruber v. Craig
208 A.D.2d 900 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1994)
Rey v. Park View Nursing Home, Inc.
262 A.D.2d 624 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1999)
Lee v. Health Force, Inc.
268 A.D.2d 564 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2000)
Zeides v. Hebrew Home for Aged At Riverdale, Inc.
300 A.D.2d 178 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 Misc. 3d 686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/butler-v-shorefront-jewish-geriatric-center-inc-nysupct-2011.