HARRISBURG — A surviving spouse is suing Select Medical Corp. and other healthcare providers, claiming that insufficient measures were taken to prevent infection and death.
Billy Russell, individually and as personal representative of the estate of the late Marjorie Russell, filed a complaint June 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Select Medical Corp. and others, alleging that the healthcare providers failed to properly diagnose and treat Marjorie Russell's infectious diseases.
According to the complaint, during Marjorie Russell's treatment under the defendants' care, she was allegedly exposed to a hospital-acquired infection, the bacterium Nocardia farcinica (NF).
As a result of the defendants' alleged negligence, the plaintiff said Marjorie Russell suffered respiratory complications resulting from a mucous plug. She was terminally extubated and died on Aug. 26, 2016.
The plaintiff said he holds the defendants responsible because they allegedly negligently deviated from the standard of care by discontinuing Bactrim and Meropenem after only a 10-day course while the proper course to treat NF is six months to a year.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks a judgment in an amount greater than $75,000, together with all costs. He is represented by Donald Hoyt of Blakey, Yost, Bupp & Rausch LLP in York, Pennsylvania and Paul Bekman and Aryeh Rabinowitz of Bekman, Marder & Adkins, LLC in Baltimore.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania case number 1:18-cv-01195-YK