Federal Investigation Launched following Reports of Surgical Death Rates among Infants

The Federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is investigating St. Mary’s Medical Center in Florida following a CNN report showing that the hospital has a high death rate for infants undergoing open heart surgery. CNN recently reported that the mortality rate was 12.5 percent between 2011 and 2013, which is three times the national average.

“They need to close this place down,” said Nneka Campbell to CNN. Campbell, whose 10-month-old daughter died after undergoing heart surgery at the hospital, said the institution should view the investigation “as a final warning.” She also told CNN that she was encouraged by the federal investigation.

CNN reported on the deaths of nine babies who died after heart surgery since the program began in 2011. The most recent death occurred on Tuesday. A 10th child who had the surgery was left paralyzed. Last year, the head of an expert review panel advised the hospital to stop performing the procedures on babies. Despite this suggestion, the hospital continued the program and the death toll climbed.

A federal official said “this is a serious situation” to CNN. “We want to make sure people are not exposed unnecessarily to harm,”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the investigation because most patients who had the surgery were on Medicaid. Agency spokesman Aaron Albright stated to CNN in an email “We take these allegations very seriously. CMS is actively investigating these complaints,”

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