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Meck County Comissioner Cotham Reacts To Report

The nurse who conducted an internal review of the Mecklenburg County Health Department suggested problems with patient care are worse than expected. The Charlotte Observer obtained e-mails from the nurse raising significant concerns about patient safety.

An internal review was triggered after it surfaced the department didn’t follow up with 185 women after abnormal Pap smear test results. The Charlotte Observer reports the nurse wrote in an e-mail.

“The problem is much worse (than) I was told, and it includes poor performing employees, bad supervision.” She continued. “Patient care has been poor at best, and at worst, patients health and safety has been at risk.”

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham has not seen the internal review and she wants it to be made public.

“The public will accept the problem. But what they don’t accept is that if they are not hearing all of the details," she said.  "That’s where the problems always are in any organization.”

The County just hired an interim health director from one of the consulting firms that is evaluating the department. That report is expected to be presented to the Audit Review Committee next month.

County Manager Dena Diorio wrote in an e-mail. “I remain committed to fixing all issues at Public Health through the recommendations of our consultants. We believe that the next phase will start to rebuild trust in our clinical services, as well as other areas of the department.”