7.27.11 - Video from Face to Face added. Story begins around 3:10.
7.26.11 - Our Son’s Story
12 years ago, our son Chris was diagnosed with childhood leukemia. He was treated by Dr. Ronald Oseas who is now deceased, and Dr. Jonathon Bernstein.
Drs. Oseas and Bernstein developed a treatment plan using a protocol developed by Children’s Cancer Group of the United States, a collective group that studies childhood cancers for our country. The physicians indicated that treating a child with CCG protocols was the current standard of care.
After a courageous battle with leukemia Chris died nine months later.
Months after his death it came to our attention through review of his medical records, that our son had been administered the wrong treatment plan according to specifics within the protocol.
Because of the error, our son’s chance of life was significantly reduced. We were never told about the treatment plan deviation by either physician, despite that the physicians discovered their error early in Chris’ treatment. Additionally, Chris suffered more and became disfigured from complications that arose from the incorrect treatment. This disfigurement caused him great emotional and physical pain.
After several years in the Nevada court system, we saw some justice when Dr. Oseas was found guilty of malpractice.
In court, Dr. Bernstein said: “I should have talked with the parents. I should have done this for the parents and for Dr. Oseas.” He also admitted that he had discussed the deviation in the treatment plan on at least 3 occasions and the need to disclose the deviation to us as Chris’s parents, but this was never done by either physician, nor was there any attempt to place our son on the correct treatment. Additionally, and most important, neither Oseas or Bernstein informed the investigational study of the error that was made, nor the fact that Christopher was in reality not on protocol at all, therefore polluting a study that was designed to improve outcomes for future children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The AMA Code of Ethics states:
· “The relationship between patient and physician is based on trust and gives rise to physicians’ ethical obligations to place patients’ welfare above their own self-interest and above obligations to other groups, and to advocate for their patients’ welfare.
· Within the patient-physician relationship, a physician is ethically required to use sound medical judgment, holding the best interests of the patient as paramount.”
· Withholding medical information from patients without their knowledge or consent is ethically unacceptable.
· Concern regarding legal liability which might result following truthful disclosure should not affect the physician’s honesty with a patient.
· When patient harm has been caused by an error, physicians should offer a general explanation regarding the nature of the error and the measures being taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Such communication is fundamental to the trust that underlies the patient-physician relationship,
· When the inappropriate conduct of a physician continues despite the initial report(s), the reporting physician should report to a higher or an additional authority. The person or body receiving the initial report should notify the reporting physician when appropriate action has been taken.”
2. Why are we speaking now?
A year ago this month, it came to our attention that a Las Vegas family had questioned the diagnoses of their child under the care of Dr. Bernstein.
We were horrified to see the report on Channel 13. According to the news report we learned that Dr. Bernstein’s privileges at Sunrise were suspended for failing to provide timely medical attention to another patient. This knowledge rekindled our grief, anxiety, and anger.
It made us question what more does our state need to do to be sure that safe and appropriate care is being given by physicians who have had multiple reports made to the Medical Board of Examiners?
3. Where do we go from here?
· The Nevada Medical Board needs to focus on policing our medical community in a more transparent manner. The medical community frequently discusses the fear of malpractice lawsuits as a reason for doing extra tests and procedures, but hesitates to reprimand physicians who practice below the standard of care.
· The Nevada Medical Board of Examiners must no longer allow the “Captain of the Ship” defense to excuse another licensed physician from doing the right thing when potential or real harm comes to a patient from his silence due to being fearful of financial retribution by his employer.
7.26.11 - Senate proceedings on the Patients' Bill of Rights by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND).
1.04.11 - “Mom, how could they do this to a kid?” was a question that was asked by Chris shortly before his death. Fortunately, all he knew about was the insurance problems we’d had. Little did any of us know how the course of his treatment had failed to give him the only thing he really wanted…a chance at life.
Later we were to find the real cause of his early relapse, a failure to follow the protocol that the Children’s Oncology Group had so carefully devised for high risk adolescents with ALL who were also Slow Early Responders.
9.10.01 - Added two new, important articles to the articles page.
6.26.01 - BREAKING NEWS ON ESEA HEALTH TRUST - To find out all the information about the audit, click here. (also found on
articles page)
6.24.01 - Chris was talked about on Dorgan's website - At a Capitol Hill press conference, Wednesday, Dorgan recalled testimony he heard last year from Susan Roe, the Mother of Christopher Roe of Nevada, who died of cancer on his 16th birthday after being denied experimental treatment that was his only chance for survival. "Toward the end of his life, he looked up at his Mother from his bed and asked, 'Mom, how can they do this to a kid?'" Dorgan said.
Click here for more...
6.22.01 - New layout, new location.
6.19.01 - Senator Byron Dorgan talked about Chris in the Senate hearing regarding the Patient's Bill of Rights that
they are trying to pass.
1.16.01 - Our family has been in the newspaper quite a bit lately due to the ESEA Health Trust and chemical clean up
being done a few blocks from our house. Click here to go to the articles page.
11.20.99 - A radiothon dedicated to the honor of Chris Roe was held 11/19-11/20/99 on KFM 102, in Las Vegas. The radiothon was a benefit for Variety Club of Las Vegas, a charitable organization which provides funds to several local children's charities. Candlelighters of So. Nevada and Ronald McDonald House directly benefit from the fundraiser. Another goal of the Radiothon was to provide new bicycles to 250 needy kids in the area. Lance Burton and Kenny Rogers were among the stars who appearaed to raise money. Kenny Rogers sang a song and dedicated it to Chris, called "I am the Greatest". The Roe family was interviewed during the Firday night 5pm segment of the event. A posterboard of many family pictures was shown at the Meadows Mall where the radiothon took place.
• To hear "The Greatest", click here.
