There are some doctors who simply should not be practicing
I can’t be the only one who read the front-page Spotlight series on Dr. Yvon Baribeau (“A celebrated surgeon, a trail of secrets and death,” Sept. 7; “A crisis of conscience, with lives on the line,” Sept. 8) and thought of the 2021 docudrama “Dr. Death,” which told the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a Dallas neurosurgeon who is serving a life sentence following injuries to more than 30 patients and the deaths of two.
Compare that with the appalling statement by CEO Alex Walker of Catholic Medical Center that he would “absolutely” rehire Baribeau if his skills were up to date. It seems that the bottom line — profit — is the main consideration.
Maxine Dolle
Brookline
Patients, families need to feel comfortable confronting doctors’ errors
I read with interest the story of the New Hampshire doctor who “has settled 21 medical malpractice claims tied to his work” at Catholic Medical Center, “including 14 in which he is accused of contributing to a patient’s death.” Patients and families need to feel comfortable confronting their own doctors’ errors.
Recently, a loved one’s life has been shortened considerably as a result of what I believe is malpractice. Am I angry? You bet. Will my loved one sue? Probably not. Why? Because he says his doctor is ”a nice guy.”
This attitude needs to stop. Would you accept this type of mistake from your accountant, your lawyer, your mechanic, or your plumber?
Why do we tolerate doctors’ mistakes and let them go unreported?
J. Hallisey
Jamaica Plain
The writer is a primary care nurse practitioner.