- http://www.bloomberg.com/video/patients-tell-of-beatings-at-rehabilitation-center-NJyVrz7iQ86Rt6R9fB7Y8Q.html
- http://www.bloomberg.com/video/brain-injured-warehoused-in-nursing-homes-Y~V9zOm3R6e3I_~Ne5H2QA.html
- http://www.bloomberg.com/video/finr-patient-allegedly-abused-by-staff-members-ZKkfZvi4TJOgw9LedauA4g.html
- http://www.bloomberg.com/video/finr-staff-member-allegedly-pushes-patient-down-drqJJTotTESqnWUEzpE0NQ.html
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
“Abuse of Brain Injured Americans in Florida Scandalizes U.S.” (7/24/12); Brain-Injured in Nursing Homes Without Care Giffords Had” (12/28/12); “Florida Caregivers Bloodied Patients as Complaints Drew Laughter” (12/14/12); “Florida Ended Patient Death Probe at Private Brain-Injury Center” (8/1/12)”
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
These stories revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse and mistreatment of severely brain-injured people in the United States. At one of the largest rehabilitation facilities in the country, Bloomberg uncovered a decades-long history of death, abuse and neglect. Another story reported on thousands of other brain-injured patients warehoused in nursing homes with little or no treatment and in conditions that ranged from filthy to dangerous.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Bloomberg filed a lawsuit to successfully obtain copies of abuse investigations that the state of Florida refused to release. A database of nursing home admissions maintained by the federal government was mined to find out how many brain-injured patients are in those facilities. Bloomberg obtained videotaped evidence of abuse through requests made with state prosecutors for evidence used in criminal cases. Other records, including some obtained through public records requests, include police reports; death certificates and medical examiner investigations; court records; nursing home inspection and complaint reports; corporation filings; congressional and government investigations, and others.
Explain types of human sources used.
Patients, relatives of patients, employees of treatment facilities, investigators, doctors, nurses, advocates, facility owners, insurance experts, regulators, and others.
Results:
Bloomberg’s coverage spurred regulators to stage a surprise inspection of the Florida facility, leading to an order for the removal of 50 patients. A Connecticut agency withdrew 10 patients it had sent to FINR. More than 178,000 people signed an online petition organized by Change.Org calling on state health officials to immediately investigate FINR. The organization said it was one of the most popular petitions in its history. Insurer Allstate Corp. filed a fraud lawsuit alleging FINR warehoused and beat patients.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
A correction was made on the day the first Florida facility story was published to correct the location of a hospital where a patient died.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Convincing patients and their families to go on the record was critical to telling this story.