Michigan's Bureau of Community and Health Systems has launched an investigation into dirty, broken, and missing instruments at Detroit Medical Center hospitals.
The investigation was prompted by a report in the Detroit News showing a pattern of improper cleaning and sterilization at DMC facilities, putting patients at risk for over eleven years.
The Bureau, operating within Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, inspects licensed health facilities and monitors complaints against them. Bureau Director Larry Horvath says that no complaints had been filed against DMC regarding surgical instruments, but that the bureau also monitors the media and investigates relevant complaints appearing in news reports.
Horvath says a team of nurses, sanitarians, and other specialists will investigate the sterilization problems at DMC. "If we find there are some deficient practices, we will cite the facility for those practices. The most common remedy is for them to submit a plan of correction," says Horvath.
Anyone can file a complaint against a health facility through LARA's web site or hotline.
