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Closed Hospital Submits Plan Hoping To Reopen

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Aug 18, 2009 5:18 pm US/Mountain

Closed Hospital Submits Plan Hoping To Reopen

DENVER (CBS4) ― A Denver hospital has submitted a plan to the state in hopes that it will be allowed to reopen.

The Colorado Orthopedic and Surgical Hospital known as "COSH" was shut down in July following the death of a patient.

CBS4 investigator Rick Sallinger has obtained the new information submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

In May, 25-year-old Hilary Carpenter died after a nurse gave her the wrong dose of the pain killer Demerol. After a state health department investigation the hospital was shut down except for its emergency room.

"It's really unprecedented," Howard Roitman with the state health department said. "We had not done that before."

The state found an "unsafe environment for all patients … the potential for a negative outcome for every patient" and "that led to the collapse and ineffective rescue of (Carpenter)."

"It would appear from all points of view that a layman like myself would have is that this was a relatively new modern facility that, sure, they must have all the necessary personnel and equipment in place in case of an emergency," said John Carpenter, Hilary's father.

Now the hospital promises to provide adequate 24-hour staffing and eliminate the need to call 911 in an emergency. It is removing Demerol from use and patients receiving intravenous narcotics will be monitored for at least 2 hours.

"If all of those pieces come together and we can approve them, then we would allow them to be admitting new surgical patients," Roitman said.

COSH has submitted a video to the state in hopes earning the right to reopen.

It's not clear if the hospital will financially be able reopen. On Aug. 5 a memo told staff that due to the shutdown it only had enough money for two weeks more of pay.

The COSH documents claim the nurse who administered the wrong dosage to Carpenter has admitted not following the doctor's orders and has resigned.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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