Former Conn. radiologist gets reprimand, probation stemming from patients death
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Waldman received a reprimand and one year of probation, to begin May 1, after perforating the spleen of a patient, Tom D’Amato, 74, during a radiological procedure performed on April 26, 2010. Examiners found that Waldman had “promptly recognized that he had perforated the spleen,” but instead of admitting the error, D’Amato was sent home without instructions or proper monitoring, according to Connecticut Department of Public Health records.
D’Amato died three days later after returning to the hospital with complications within six hours of the procedure, according to News-Times.
During the year-long probationary period, Waldman’s work must be monitored by another licensed radiologist at Waldman’s expense.
The Medical Examining Board said the sanctions were based on Waldman failing to monitor D’Amato after the procedure, but D’Amato’s death was not a factor in disciplinary decisions, according to News-Times. Board members were quoted as saying New Milford Hospital lacked adequate patient monitoring protocols and that the incident was a “system failure.”
Evan Godt, Writer
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.