Transparency is paramount for Beebe

When bad news comes out of Beebe Medical Center, it resonates deeply. No wonder - lives are at stake. Hospitals deal with pain and suffering daily. The potential for problems is great. Nonetheless, people expect the medical center will adhere to high standards, address problems promptly and provide a level of care that will instill confidence.

When a young Cape student died in 2011 following treatment in Beebe's emergency department and later at another facility in the state, the community was aware that something akin to toxic shock was involved. The sudden death rocked the family and sent a shudder through the community. What was not generally known - before a lawsuit was filed - is that the young girl had passed out in an emergency room lavatory. Neither her mother nor hospital personnel could get to her for several minutes because they couldn't open the door she had locked.

Certainly that situation sent a buzz through the hospital community, but nothing was said to the larger community - the real owners of Beebe Medical Center. The problem should have been publicly acknowledged along with a statement of plans designed to address it.

Two months after the incident, state investigators made an unannounced inspection to check door locks and alarms. They found problems so persistent that they temporarily suspended endorsement of Beebe's accreditation as a medical facility.

Officials say these issues have been addressed and the state's endorsement of accreditation restored. This community, however, should not have learned about these problems through a subsequent lawsuit and news investigations. Beebe had to suspect a lawsuit was on its way. With so many personal injury lawyers advertising for clients, why would anyone expect otherwise? The medical center took the high road when it adopted a complete transparency policy regarding the Bradley crimes, and the outcome was about as good as could have been hoped for under the circumstances.

This community knows bad things happen. It also knows that not bringing bad events to light only makes them worse. Being straightforward and open won't ward off all lawsuits, but it will ensure problems are identified and fixed, and will sustain the community's confidence in the hospital it has so long supported.