Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/904318
52 HEALTHCARE NEWS 5 Denver Health Nurses Suspended After Inappropriately Viewing Deceased Patient's Body By Kelly Gooch D enver Health placed five nurses on investigatory leave for inappropriately viewing and discussing a patient's body last April, the system confirmed in an emailed statement to Becker's Hospital Review. Denver7, which affirmed incident details with the hospital, was told via a tip the nurses opened a body bag to view the deceased pa- tient's body and checked the size of the indi- vidual's genitals. Hospital officials said they learned of the inci- dent from a concerned staff member who was working in the same area. e nurses were suspended for three weeks. "Denver Health responded to this report im- mediately and the nurses in question were placed on investigatory leave," hospital of- ficials said. "eir actions, which violated our policies and our code of conduct, were promptly reported to appropriate govern- mental authorities, including the Denver Police Department and the Colorado State Board of Nursing. An internal Denver Health investigation resulted in disciplinary action against all those responsible for the incident and the patient's next of kin was notified." Denver Health spokesman Josh Rasmussen told Denver7 four of the suspended nurses eventually went back to their jobs, while the remaining suspended nurse le her position but was not fired. Denver Health went on to apologize for the entire incident, saying, "It is not an appro- priate representation of the high-quality care and compassion our clinical staff strive to provide to our patients." n The 10 Largest Health Insurance Companies by Membership By Eric Oliver I nsider Monkey compiled the 10 largest U.S. health insurance companies by total enrollees. Here are the top 10 from most mem- bers to fewest members. 1. UnitedHealthcare Group, 70 mil- lion members 2. Anthem, 39.4 million members 3. Aetna, 23 million members 4. Health Care Services Corp., 15 million members 5. Cigna, 14.7 million members 6. Humana, 14.23 million members 7. Centene Corp., 11 million mem- bers 8. Kaiser Permanente, 10.7 million members 9. Highmark, 5.3 million members 10. WellCare Health Plans, 3.68 mil- lion members n Which 10 US States Have The Most Overworked Nurses? By Mary Rechtoris There is a shortage of nurses through- out the U.S., with Hawaii boasting the fewest nurses per 1,000 residents. Using U.S. Census Bureau, FBI crime and Kaiser Family Foundation data, Medicare Health Plans compiled a list of states and U.S. regions boasting the highest percentage of overworked nurses. Here are the top 10 based on the num- ber of nurses per 1,000 people: 1. Hawaii: 1.9 2. Utah: 5.7 3. Wisconsin: 5.8 4. Wyoming: 6.0 5. Washington, D.C.: 7.9 6. Washington: 7.9 7. North Carolina: 8.3 8. Oregon: 8.4 9. Nevada: 9.2 10. New Hampshire: 9.2 n Police Shoot, Kill Armed Irma Evacuee at North Carolina Hospital By Ayla Ellison T he man police shot and killed late Sunday at Novant Health Huntersville (N.C.) Medical Center was traveling from Florida to New York to escape Hurricane Irma, according to The Charlotte Observer, which cited an announce- ment from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations. Police say they were called to Hunt- ersville Medical Center Sunday after reports of multiple shots fired inside the facility. When police arrived, they encountered an armed man, who has now been identified as 76-year-old Joseph Charles Cook. Police say they felt threatened when they encountered Mr. Cook and fired several rounds at him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations is continuing to in- vestigate the incident, and the two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, according to the report. n