1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"Clinic had six fires in surgery in past year, Three patients were slightly hurt" "Ohio hospitals not required to tell state about surgical fires" "Cancer patient sues Clinic over prostate surgery" "Clinic corrects violations found during inspection, Surgery consent forms weren't used"
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
The stories were published: May 1, 2010 May 11, 2010 June 7, 2010 July 19, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Diane's stories told of six operating-room fires that had broken out at the Cleveland Clinic in the previous year and had gone unreported; how Ohio — unlike other states — requires no reporting of surgical fires; explained a lawsuit against the Cleveland Clinic by a man who claimed he was left incontinent and impotent after residents performed his prostate surgery instead of the more experienced surgeon he was promised; and revealed that federal officials had admonished the Cleveland Clinic for, among other things, performing surgery without patient-signed consent forms.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
To tell these stories, Diane used reports from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which she requested under the Freedom of Information Act, court documents and published studies on surgical fires.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Diane also interviewed legal experts, medical safety experts, harmed patients and their lawyers.
6. Results (if any).
Callers provided her with even more information that enabled her, for example, to tell the story of a young woman whose face was badly burned in a fire that erupted while she was having minor surgery to remove a mole. Other callers provided information that could lead to further stories if and when their suits are filed or other action is taken. The stories also put local hospitals on notice that these kinds of injuries could no longer be kept quiet. Patients continue to call Diane and update her on complaints and legal action they plan to take for similar injuries they've suffered.
7. 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.
No corrections or clarifications have run with any of these stories.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
To other reporters telling these kinds of stories, Diane advises patience. It often takes months of listening to patients' stories and waiting for lawyers to take action before details can be reported or federal reports will be released. Tenacity is important, too. Repeated phone calls and emails are essential to ensure that requested information is provided and to remind sources that you've not given up on them. Most important of all is a willingness to listen with a compassion while eliciting the facts necessary to build solid but tender stories.