R.I. hospitals make plans to stop surgical mishaps

PROVIDENCE—Rhode Island’s hospitals are creating new procedures designed to prevent mistaken surgeries after a string of accidents.

Sandra Coletta, president and chief executive officer of Kent Hospital in Warwick, said hospital leaders statewide have agreed to develop new protocols by March 31. These procedures will force surgeons to take a time-out before operating so they can verify they are performing the correct operation on the right patient.

The Lifespan hospital chain was fined $50,000 last year after three wrong-side surgeries at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, a teaching facility for Brown University’s medical school.

Kent Hospital is not part of the Lifespan network.