Maybe they like repeat customers... If they call the cops every time someone gets smacked, then the repeat victims would not likely go to seek treatment and the hospital doesn't get paid. Thoughts anyone?

DEAN and MERCY together??? i saw the sign for the new dean hospital today.... It said DEAN and MERCY on the sign ! w.t.h? are we going to have no chance at a new hospital?

if you wait 8 hours and dont die, maybe its just your lucky day!,
My uncle went to edgerton during his first heart attack, they treated him right away and asked questions later. He went to Mercy during his second, the nurse sat him down and HAD to fill out all the forms before he could start waiting for a doctor to see him.
My daughter went to Beloit ER for an infected toe, they didnt ask about insurance until AFTER the doctor was done giving her a IV antibiotics. (infection was to close to the bone) Sunday afternoon and the Beloit ER was full of patients AND full of nurses and doctors!

Maybe they working on getting a translator.

big girl- funny you would say that- you seem to be opposed to ANY law.

if the chances are so large that death will occur it seems it isnt working the way it is now REPORT it and catch these dirt bags and put them behind bars.

but if you think about it they would have to PROVE they did this and prob no witness so wouldnt go to jail. a he said she said.

prettyplanecrash- that is horrible WHY didnt you report it??????

it is very confusing at mercy er since the urgent care is in the SAME place or was anyway. I was going to go to urgent care over by mercy mall - THEY WERENT OPEN at 6am so i waited in the er till I would say 9 am which was still earlier than 10 am. and it WAS NOT BUSY- but oh well. then i went to get meds at walgreens downtown- not open on sunday-then or till later. so went to milton av. then to find out it was just stuff that is in the isle that THE PHARMASIT got for me. very frustrationg and I got I am not sure what is really wrong- you have a rash- WELL NO DUH!!!!!!! my face was sweller up and tiny rash beads all over. I felt there wasnt a point going there. i could have just put cream on myself but I was scared and react to things. i would say sUB PARtreatment and I am pretty sure they forgot about me when i was in the er room finally. Well yes they did I recall he said so.

did he forget about me becasue I WASNT dying? or just forgot- what if somebody was dying do you just OPPS FORGET!!??

Personally, I do not think there is anything wrong with the average employee at Mercy. What IS the problem? The policies that violate the laws of the state and feds!

i can almost bet that most of you are bashing mercy due to experiences in the emergency room? am i right? lol. mercy has wonderful people working there. i take my father there every week to have a procedure done, and they are wonderful to him and the rest of our family.my husbands brain surgery was done there they were wonderful to us,except for that old bat in the surgery waiting room,so we went some where else and waited for my husband to come out of surgery,none to say the volunteer in the surgery waiting room got into alot of trouble and is no longer there. you cant judge that whole hospital staff on the service and treatment you get in the er.another part of that hospital that is bad is the second floor nurses,i have and elderly friend that was in there and one of the nurses actually called her and old bxxch,if you get my meaning,does javon bea care about his staff and patients?NOPE he only cares about money and recognition.myself if i have an emergency i go to urgent care if they cant handle it i go to beloit memorial.so please dont judge mercy solely on that,what i call the worst er ive ever been to in my life,not everyone there is like that. and to mercy staff in the er,not everyone that comes into your er is a drug addict or bum or low life,so you need to quit treating all patients the same. show some compassion and kindness,remember these people pay you, an some really need kindness not all your hatred dumped on them.if i had to go into the hospital it would mercy, but i would never go to that god awful emergency room,under any circumstanes, and my family knows if i could not speak,take me to beloit.

To justsaynotomath, FYI if you wait 8 hours in the emergency room waiting room, it is NOT an emergency. Yes you may be uncomfortable, yes you may be miserable. But did you die in those 8 hours I see not. In a busy emergency room the sicker people are seen first. Not someone who has 100% coverage insurance over the non insured. I wish everyone would realize this and stop complaining. You have a choice, do I go to the ER or do I wait and call my doctor in the morning.
In regards to this article. All you have to do is ask, Do you want the police notified? and offer the patient the option. If the abuser is with the patient, ask her/him in the bathroom when they are alone. Give them resources, at least offer it to them. You set up a worse situation if police come and talk to the patient without you telling them. They may leave without the care needed. As a RN chart to cya.

Okay, I can understand that. Yet, it's about the concept of laws and ethics in a profession as well. If they don't report it, even suspected and something happens, the are considered an accessory because they didn't do anything about it.

There are so many sides to this. Say a health care provider calls the police. There are charges brought up. The victim is scared and won't testify. Time, money, effort down the drain. Or the victim-isn't really a victim. Can the alleged abuser sue for slander?
This story isn't about Mercy never reporting suspected abuse. If someone comes in and asks for help do you think they'll be turned down? Of course not. But if a supposed victim is asked if they want the police called and they say no and it's called in anyway-how likely will it be that they will cooperate with police?
I've seen CPS called to the hospital. Yup-Mercy is heartless. Maybe they just can't help everyone who won't help themselves.

It's wild how people think that abuse or violence does not need to be reported. Since reading this article on Sunday, I have spoken with nurses, doctors, physical therapists, pharmacists, and many others in Wisconsin, but not in Janesville.

To begin the conversation, I ask them what would they do if a patient were to come in with strange bruises or injuries. The responses? It is mandatory to report this to the police to investigate. Then I share with them the policies of Mercy Hospital. Their response then? They are appalled and angered.

As a survivor of domestic violence I do not agree with this. I am no longer in this situation. He had to go to jail on other charges for me to get out of the relationship. I was scared to death and at the time a mother of 4, didnt have any relatives that would help. and moving in with someone who has kids plus 4 of my own really wasnt an option. I went in to have my 4th child(by him) with a bruised footprint on the top of my stomach. I had no job or car and was totally reliant on him. The doctor asked me what happened and I acted like I didnt hear him since my ex was standing right there. And that was it. If I knew what I know now, it would not have continued. If you are in this situation there are agencies to help. Talk to someone

This is a decision that the victim needs to be empowered to make.

My question is: if the ER is so busy that people are in the waiting room for hours and the staff is so overworked/overburdened, how much quality time can the staff pay to the victim to actually empower them, ask the questions, LISTEN to the answers and ask more questions. The simple questions: Do you feel safe right now? here? at home? at work? can almost always get the victim who does NOT feel safe to get the help needed, but ONLY if asked by someone who appears to actually care.

Might be time for Mercy to hire a Patient Advocate to visit with certain patients to provide resources, help them make the calls, help them find organizations in the community rather than having a busy ER doc or nurse "go through the motions"--seriously, no offense if you work as a nurse or doc and DO take the time to compassionately ask the questions, but I think I can fairly say that NOT ALL docs or nurses take the necessary time.

I'd love to be a Patient Advocate for SA, DV, homeless or child abuse victims; and as it turns out, my position was eliminated and I'm available!

Is this the first time there has been a difference in interpretations of the law? I think not.

I was at mercy,cut my fingers trimming a sunday dinner ham. I was grilled about injury(like was I sure spouse and I were'nt in a fight),
while a young lady was there telling Mercy her husband broke her wrist. The staff literally laughed it off,treated her ,sent her home.Selective contacting officals for Mercy?

Wow - the Mercy bashers are out again. Nice to see all of you!

You know, if all of your moms spanked you too much when you were children, you would blame Mercy.

Mercy does care about domestic abuse. There is a fine line with all the privacy laws and all the attorneys that are ready to pounce on any organization that seems to violate anything. I have been into many other hospital ER units with injuries that could have been questionable and they never asked as well.

Two times I brought my children in with injuries to the Mercy ER both at Walworth and Janesville (and the wait was less than 1/2 hour) and I was quizzed over-and-over about their injuries.

Mercy not care? I don't think so. They do.

Obviously Mercy doesn't care one bit about domestic abuse victims. And their view is stating that they condone it. What ignorance for a health care provider. Mercy’s policy is that domestic injuries don’t have to be reported like sexual assaults or child abuse, even if the victim has a broken arm or skull fracture, said Jackie Friar, Mercy’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program coordinator.

“They’re married or they have a relationship with the person that was just violent against them,” she said. “If she chooses to go back into that environment, we don’t want to put her or her children in danger.”

Does Jackie actually honestly and truly believe that not reporting domestic abuse protects the victim?

Mercy is just a horrible hospital ! i waited almost 8 hours to get in the EMERGENCY room. what kind of emergency can wait 8 freakin hours ?? none ! i will never go back there ! they had 2 people barfing in trash cans and when i said i had to go outside so i didn't get sick before surgery they said they would not come get me. i was 2 feet outside the door ! i had a really good friend come down and wait inside for me. the nurses were rude and the check in women needed to be slapped for the way she talks to people checking in. my friend who came went to school with the chief of medicine and only then did i get seen. i have full coverage 100% health insurance and had already been to 2 doctors at Mercy who said i had heart burn ! it was a gall bladder with 3 huge stones and i had to have surgery the next day. i diagnosed myself after they did nothing and then checked myself into the emergency room. my surgeon was great but the doctors and nurses prior to my surgery were dumb as rocks !

When I was in Counseling for depression a few years ago my counselor was talking about how they see some real BS from police deptartments. One instance was a case where a neighbor had called the police because the couple next door was fighting. Both of them said it was nothing but just a husband/wife argument and nobody was hurt etc. BUT, since the police were called it is mandatory procedure to issue someone a citation/or arrest one of them. In this case the husband was arrest and the couple was forced to see this counselor to clear things up legally. Since he mentioned that to me I have heard of similar cases in and around Janesville as well.

The point is the lack of interpreting the laws of the state and feds. Mercy Hospital placed a policy in effect that was a breach in the laws. The interpretation appears to have been the wrong one.

TAKE ME TO BELOIT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ANY DAY MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

If you haven't been in an abusive situation, you really shouldn't be speaking about what the victim should or should not be doing. The victims will tell you, the ones that wish they could get out but are too afraid for whatever reason know the difficulty. From what I have learned, the victims typically are brainwashed by the abusers into thinking that the entire world is out to get them and the abuser is the only one that can help. It's the psychological game the abusers play. The abusers tend to have their own lack of securities, or whatever it is!

I can see the abuse victim not trusting an all-too-fallible justice system (he stabbed her right through the restraining order), but they should ask if the person wants help, legal and/or counseling and/or a way to leave an abusive relationship.
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They should run an identification check on the patient and if they have no criminal or mental record, offer them a handgun as well. Then they will have done all they can to protect the patient or help them protect themselves. If it isn't an abuse case, no problem. If it is, there might be just one more police/ambulance call before the problem is solved one way or the other.

And again-the hospital sent you back home? They discharged you-they cannot tell you where to go.
If you don't ask for help you can't expect it to always just be given. I was in urgent care with a broken bone in my foot and a severe sprain. Was I abused because I was injured? Or did I just fall off my heels? People in the hospital aren't mind readers and not all injuries are related to abuse. If a person admits to beating someone-the abused can say whether or not it is reported. They can report it themselves. If that doesn't happen you cannot blame the hospital 100%

You're placing the sole responsibility on the hospital. Did they not allow you to report it?
They ask certain questions so they know who to share information with and who to watch out for in the hospital.

I was in the Beloit ER with a broken arm, bruised eye and they did not report it to the police and my husband said he beat me. Since I had no where else to go, they sent me back home to him so he could "take care of me". Humph!!

Mercy staff will ask if you feel safe at home or if you are in any danger when you go the ER for anything. I don't understand why they don't report domestic abuse. I sure could have used their help many moons ago when I was going through some bad experiences at the hands of my abuser that required medical attention.

Exactly, devil. Of course we provide holistic care. Of course we try to get them to get the help they need-physical, mental, emotional. It's not something we can force unless they are deemed incompetent.

JCK:
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In the case of gun shot wounds it's rather easy, the patient has a gunshot wound, you call police. In the case of domestic violence it's not that easy a call. If a patient displays injuries that could have been caused by another, then some questions need to be answered first. Who caused them? Is that person you're spouse? If not, do you now or have ever lived with them? etc etc. I don't think it was the intent or spirit of the reporting law, to require hospital personnel to conduct an investigation. They are in the "healing" business.

Children and the 'dependent' elderly (not all elderly)are not deemed able to act in their best interest. That is why reporting them is possible. They may not be able to advocate for themselves like an adult.
I know that physical therapy is best for many of my patients, it's in their best interest to do it. I cannot force them to. I cannot force them to take a medication they don't want. I cannot force them to report 'suspected' abuse.

For all the “know it all’s” here, they said there required to report any motor vehicle accident. I wasn’t drunk I don’t even drink. The ticket was failure to control a watercraft. The cops showed up at the ER took my statement on I got a ticket in the mail 3 weeks later. That’s it no other untold details.

before the grammar police hit, I meant HIPAA... sorry for the misprint

mercyRn: HIPPA is also covered when it comes down to child and elderly care/abuse... by reporting those cases, which are valid, is an escape clause for a medical professional to not be held liable for releasing information to authorities... it's no different than if a medical professional, such as youself, as it would be to report a potential domestic abuse case regarding ANY adult victim, much like children or the elderly... HIPPA is supposed to protect the privacy to ALL patients unless there is reasonable suspicion that abuse MAY have taken place... why should an adult that is being treated for injuries that could've been caused by abuse (and you know what to look for, seeing how you're the professional) be treated any differently when it comes down to his/her own safety than children or an elderly person being subject to any potential abusive situation?? what makes them different??

"Wisconsin statutes state hospital staff must report to law enforcement gunshot wounds, burns or any other wounds BELIEVED TO HAVE OCCURRED AS THE RESULT OF A CRIME."

Actually, unless the police are mistaken, the law states that you must report more than child and elderly abuse, mercy nurse. Domestic abuse is a crime in Wisconsin. What part of that don't you understand?

I am a nurse at mercy and The law states that you have to report child abuse and elderly abuse. Adult abuse does not have to be reported and in fact you can be violating Hippa laws by doing so. So all you tearing Mercy apart how about you learn the laws before you open your mouth.

BYE BYE MERCY , I mean...typo.....

BRING ON THE NEW DEAN HOSPITAL AND HURRY UP THEN WE CAN SAY BYE BYE NERCY!!!!!!

sewaelizebeth says:
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""If you report suspected abuse of an adult who does not want it reported-you've taken away their right to make their own decisions.""
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You are 100% correct, however, in todays society such decisions are made by an "enlightened group of do gooders" who feel their judgment should replace that of the individual adult victim. Some say it's all "in the name of the state" so I guess that makes it a group decision. Lets hope Mercy, after reflection, does the right thing. I, for one, would not purport to tell them "the right thing to do", it should be their call.

And I don't think Mercy is endangering the victims-the victim's inaction is endangering the victims. The abuser is endangering the victims. Mercy would definately report the suspected abuse if the abused wants it reported. If a patient was comatose and it looked like they had been abused I'm sure it would be reported-because the patient cannot advocated for theirself.
This is definately not a black and white topic. Fortunately people have rights. Unfortunately people have rights.

It's not mandatory to report adult abuse. Sexual abuse, child abuse, elderly abuse (if the elder is not able to be independent), adult abuse (if that adult is not able to be independent)is to be reported.
If you report suspected abuse of an adult who does not want it reported-you've taken away their right to make their own decisions. Am I saying I agree 100%-no. Say you report suspected abuse against a patient. That patient later goes home and gets beaten nearly to death as payback. The patient could very well blame the reporter for putting them in that situation.
If you are in the hospital and refuse a bedbath-for instance, but are given one anyway-that's considered assault. So what is it if you go against a patients wishes as far as police intervention?
As 'uncaring' as it may sound-that possible abuse victim-who is an adult and of 'sound mind', has the right to report abuse or not. If they don't want it reported-it shouldn't be reported (as far as the patient's rights go).

As a trained mandatory reporter, there are specific signs that can not always be covered up. It's called a professional that has a clue, even if it's not mandatory.

Why would this not suprise me. I have been at Mercy many times and each one is worst than the previous. I go to Madison now, they use real Doctors (not the witch variety) and I dont have to wait forever.

There are crimes so heinous that they are crimes against the "state". Murder is one of them, as is running a red light. Society decides what is acceptable behavior.
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Domestic abuse is no longer acceptable and is considered a crime against the state. No longer is a spouse (either sex) required to be the plaintiff against the offender. That role is taken over by the community - you and me - by way of city attorney/county DAs.
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When a citizen sees someone beating a dog or a child -- or a spouse, they should report this to authorities immediately, just as if they saw another human being beating another on a street corner. Would it matter if it were two muscular men, or what if it was one muscular man against an 80 year old man in a walker? No. Society (me included) think such beatings shouldn't be tolerated - no matter "who started it".
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If a victim is damaged enough to require hospitalization, should that victim be put right back into the same environment that caused the damage? Would you rescue a bait dog from a owner who runs dog fights, to sew up its wounds, just to put it back as a bait dog? Well, change the word "dog" to "spouse"!
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There's a saying in the DA community: "If you didn't love (her), how would you treat (her) differently?" Well, that's what I'm saying to the hospital. Would you send a child home with cigarette burns on their skin? Then why send a spouse home with the same burns? With the same fractures?
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If your or I were to harbor a criminal from the police, wouldn't we be connected to the crime? Wake up Mercy! Have some! Or, face the consequences!
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As to those of you who do slap around a spouse "because they drove you to do it" and "you can't help yourselves" - If a police officer came to the door and "made you mad", would you reach out a beat him/her? No, you would control yourself. See, you can help yourselves! If you feel frustrated when your spouse "pushes your buttons" find another way to deal with the frustration. One way leads to jail - and losing your family - maybe permanently. The other way doesn't. Make your choice!

No Mercy is more like it ! worst hospital i have ever been to !

spikesmom said:

""It should be up to the potential victim if they wish to pursue charges""

Ah now there is the rub. Under the domestic violence laws the victim (usually a female)has no choice in the matter of arrest/prosecution. If, after investigation, it is determined domestic violence has occurred, then the perpetrator is arrested. There is no law requiring the victim to call the police, however. We are now attempting to take that away from the victim also. I know this will "stir up" some folks, but it needs to be said. Since most domestic violence victims are women, we get a situation where adult women are treated, by the law, like children, with no personal input into the arrest/prosecution decision, regarding their own injuries. If this is right or wrong probably lies with one's own ideas of personal freedom. Perhaps the good outweighs the limits on personal choice in these matters. What do you think?

Seems as if Mercy is trying to do what's best for their patients.

Police involvement and restraining orders may increase the chances of further and worse abuse. The police can't be there every minute to protect the woman.

Far better to leave the woman the opportunity to flee on her own than to force police into the situation and potentially endanger the woman's life immediately. I've known women who've fled, knowing that at the first hint of police involvement, they, and/or their children, might be killed. I've also known women who've called police and wound up being stalked, harassed, and threatened even though there were restraining orders in place. Worse yet, when a separation or divorce takes place, the courts often order unsupervised visitation for the minor children with their abusive father, so long as the father is only documented to have abused the mother. Many women say they stay, and continue to be abused, because they feel it's safer for their children than leaving.

Certainly Mercy should offer to call the police and offer to connect the victim with a shelter for battered women, but the ultimate decision should be left with the woman. Forcing hospitals into reporting could result in fewer women to having their injuries properly treated, as they might be afraid that police would be called and the situation escalated.

In cases where an ADULT is the one suspected of being a victim of abuse, it should be their choice whether to contact the police. Having police intervention forced on them keeps them in the victim mentality. When they've had enough, they will contact the police or ASK someone to do so on their behalf. It is at that point that they are ready to break the cycle & take control of their own life.

I am a survivor of domestic abuse, but I am not a victim. I took control of the situation & got out of it. It made me a much stronger person. I've taken what I've learned as a result & have helped a number of other people find their strength to get out of abusive relationships. By helping them see their own value, people are much less likely to accept abuse from another.

A child suffering from abuse should have the protection by doctors, police, responsible adults. They are not in a position to protect themselves, so that is a societal responsibility.

Opinion....check your laws again, Health care providers are NOT required to report suspected domestic abuse unless specifically asked by the victim.
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They are, however, required to report sexual abuse and child abuse/neglect, which they do.

jarvis53121....LOL Thank you!! You are right, I completely misread that!! That's what I get for getting up so early in morning!

Regardless of my "opinion" on weather it should be reported or not, the LAW states that it needs to be reported. Mercy is in violation of the law.

You people are taking this whole thing in the wrong direction, read the article.
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"Mercy’s policy is that domestic injuries don’t have to be reported like sexual assaults or child abuse"
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They DO report child abuse and sexual assault as per the law, it is domestic abuse they are not required to so BULLYSAREBEST, your whole comment is about the wrong thing so you can rest easy.
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Also to the guy who got a ticket for a jet ski accident, unless you tied her to it against her will and tried to injure her you cant get a ticket for that, unless either you were drinking or there was more to it than your leading on.

True enough, it isn't the job of the Mercy Hospital to be law enforcement. Yet, it is the responsibility of the professionals to use their brain to identify those fingerprint bruises and call for a suspected abuse case. The professionals are trained to be mindful that there are some things that just are not 'normal' incidents.

Hitting a wake and flipping a jet ski is not illegal so unless you were drunk why would you get a ticket?
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Mercy is a private health care provider, patient confidentiality is a law. 95% of people who come in with "child abuse" or "domestic" injuries lie about how they were caused anyway, Mercys job is to provide care, not prosecute, IF they called the police for every bruise that shows up in urgent care you think anyone would come to Mercy? If it is something obvious and the mother comes in saying that her husband kicked her son in the face then they report it but if she comes in saying that the child fell on the playground they dont, would you want to be reported to the police for your child falling on the playground? It is not Mercys job or profession to distinguish the truth from a lie and its not possible to report every single bump.

I hit a wake and flipped a jet ski injuring my wife’s leg one time and Mercy didn’t hesitate to call the cops. I got a ticket and it was an accident. But if I beat the crap out of her that’s ok right?

I can't believe that they don't report child abuse. That is really horrible. And it just lowers my declining opinion of Mercy. I wonder, though, what happened to mandatory reporting of child abuse by those who are in public service positions? Mercy may not 'have' to, but the individuals are required to report it. I remember going through an all day training on spotting and reporting child abuse as a mandatory reporter when I worked in a public service position.

How about the "cut & dried" part? It's the LAW!

It should be up to the potential victim if they wish to pursue charges. The hospital should definitely be reporting all possible abuse. These abusrs have all the power. If it isn't reported and the victim doesn't say anything, the abuse will probably continue. If the abuser is reported, at some point he/she will try to get retribution and become more violent. If it is reported and the alleged abuser's name shows up in public records, it's that much harder to hide. Abusers are the biggest cowards in the world. Bring them to light, get their names out there and maybe it will stop.

Based on the comments here, I now understand more and more why our society is so messed up. Wouldn't you want some sort of intervention if it were your parent, child, spouse/significant other, or you?

what good would this policy do anyways when these ppl that are doing the domestic violence are out on the streets and can get ahold of guns!! (rip erica)

Mercys view is actually a smart one because it allows patients to seek the medical attention they need without fear of retribution from potential criminals. Victims may not seek the help they need if they know that someone will go to jail over it and potentially seek revenge. Obviously its a touchy subject that i can see both sides of.
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If they report them, they might not come back. From a business standpoint, they need all the patients they can get. More patients = more money. Who cares about ethics and possibly breaking the cycle, right?

Does the medical field NOT have a Code of Ethics that requires the professionals to be MANDATORY REPORTERS? If not in the Ethics, I know there is that clause of mandatory reporting somewhere!

Even if my employer frowns on it, I will call in a suspected violence case. It may be the victims' way of calling out for help. We don't know that until they are, most likely, dead!

only further proof that Mercy is Merciless when it comes down to their overall care for those that NEED it... by not reporting a probable case of domestic violence, it not only jeopardizes the patient post care, resulting in more serious injuries, or even death... 20:1, there have been many cases to where a patient has been admitted to ER w/ massive head trauma and/or internal bleeding caused by domestic violence resulting in death, only to not be reported to the people that should take action on the incident...

break the law and go to jail.

Mandatory reporting may, in fact, make it more likely that victims of domestic violence don't go to the hospital. I'm for no law in this case, but for a law that all hospitals must offer rape victims Plan B birth control.

You guys are gonna go nutz over this one--can't wait!