ENROLLED
2008 LegislatureCS for SB 68
200868er
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An act for the relief of Tyler Giblin, a minor, by and
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through Gina and Mark Giblin, parents of Tyler Giblin;
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providing for an appropriation by the Munroe Regional
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Health System, Inc., to compensate Tyler for injuries
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sustained as a result of the negligence of the hospital;
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providing for the use of funds; providing a limitation on
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the payment of fees and costs; providing for payment of
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unreimbursed medical costs to the Agency for Health Care
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Administration; providing an effective date.
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WHEREAS, Gina Giblin, age 22, obtained prenatal obstetrical
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care from Rasiklal Nagda, M.D., from May 3, 2004, through
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December 14, 2004, the day Dr. Nagda delivered Tyler Giblin, a
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full-term baby boy and the son of Gina and Mark Giblin, at Munroe
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Regional Medical Center in Ocala, a full-service hospital
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operated by Munroe Regional Health System, Inc., and leased from
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the Marion County Hospital District, and
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WHEREAS, Ms. Giblin had undergone two fetal ultrasounds
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during her pregnancy, the first on August 10, 2004, and the
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second prior to delivery, both of which were misinterpreted and
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reported to the Giblins as being without abnormalities despite
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the fact that the fetus had a severely deformed heart, and
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WHEREAS, Dr. Nagda delivered Tyler Giblin by emergency
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cesarean section because of fetal distress as evidenced by a
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fetal heart rate in the 70's, significantly below the normal 120
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to 160 beats per minute, with newborn Apgar scores of 9 and 9,
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and a system assessment by the hospital nursing staff which
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wrongly concluded that Tyler did not have a heart murmur, and
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WHEREAS, upon initial examination on December 14, Tyler
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Giblin's pediatrician, Yves-Lande Pierre, M.D., noted that Tyler
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had a Grade II heart murmur but took no action, and
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WHEREAS, on the following day, December 15, Dr. Pierre
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concluded that Tyler had a Grade III murmur and subsequently
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ordered four extremity blood pressures to be performed, which
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were incorrectly taken and misinterpreted by nursing staff, and a
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chest X ray that was interpreted and documented as within normal
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limits by radiologist Kerry B. Raduns, M.D., who stated that his
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assessment of the heart and thoracic cavity was limited due to
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the baby's position in the X ray, and
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WHEREAS, a cardiology consultation was scheduled for
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December 22, 2004, at Shands Hospital in Gainesville following
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Tyler's discharge, and
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WHEREAS, in the early morning of December 16, 2004, Tyler
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was crying and grunting, found to be cyanotic with oxygen
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saturation levels of 70 to 80 percent, decompensated and found to
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have a base excess of 6.6, was started on Prostin VR, intubated,
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placed on a ventilator, and transferred to Shands Hospital, and
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WHEREAS, Tyler was transferred to Miami Children's Hospital
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on December 22, 2004, and underwent the open heart Norwood
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procedure for a hypoplastic left heart ventricle and other
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significant congenital heart disease, but, because of the delay
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in the diagnosis of his heart condition, was found to have a
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heart so damaged as to require a heart transplant, as well as to
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have suffered from anoxic brain injury due to the cyanotic event
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of December 16, and
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WHEREAS, Tyler was transferred back to Shands Hospital where
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he waited for a heart to become available, and subsequently
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underwent cardiac transplant on June 3, 2005, and
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WHEREAS, due to the anoxic brain injury, Tyler will remain
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totally incapacitated for the remainder of his life, and
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WHEREAS, due to the negligent failure to correctly diagnose
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their son's congenital heart defect both prior to and after his
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birth and because Tyler suffered from severe anoxic damage to his
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heart and brain leading to the need for a heart transplant and to
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brain injury, Gina and Mark Giblin, on behalf of their son Tyler
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and individually, brought suit against the Munroe Regional Health
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System, Inc., Munroe Regional Medical Center, Inc., and the
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Marion County Hospital District, as well as Dr. Yves-Lande Pierre
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and Marion Pediatrics, and
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WHEREAS, defendant Munroe Regional Health System, Inc., on
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behalf of the Munroe Regional Medical Center and the Marion
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County Hospital District, agreed to a consent judgment in the
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amount of $900,000, of which $200,000 has been paid to Gina and
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Mark Giblin pursuant to the limits of liability set forth in s.
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768.28, Florida Statutes, and the remainder is conditioned upon
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the passage of a claim bill by the Legislature in the amount of
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$700,000, of which 75 percent is to be placed in a special needs
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trust created for the benefit of Tyler Giblin, NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act are
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found and declared to be true.
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Section 2. Munroe Regional Health System, Inc., is
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authorized and directed to appropriate from its funds not
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otherwise encumbered and draw a warrant in the sum of $700,000,
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payable to Gina and Mark Giblin, parents and legal guardians of
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Tyler Giblin, as compensation for injuries and damages sustained
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by Tyler due to the negligence of the hospital, and 75 percent of
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such funds shall be placed in a special needs trust created for
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the use and benefit of Tyler Giblin, as agreed to by the parties
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in a consent judgment.
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Section 3. Any amount paid by Monroe Regional Health
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System, Inc., pursuant to the waiver of sovereign immunity
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permitted under s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and this award are
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intended to provide the sole compensation for all present and
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future claims against the hospital arising out of the factual
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situation described in the preamble to this act. The total amount
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paid for attorney's fees, lobbying fees, costs, and other similar
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expenses relating to this claim may not exceed 25 percent of the
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amount awarded under section 2 of this act.
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Section 4. The governmental entity responsible for payment
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of the warrant shall pay to the Agency for Health Care
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Administration the amount due under s. 409.910, Florida Statutes,
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prior to disbursing any funds to the claimants. The amount due
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the agency shall be equal to all unreimbursed medical payments
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paid by Medicaid up to the date upon which this act becomes law.
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Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.