EDWARDSVILLE -- After being diagnosed with a disease of the lower extremities, a patient alleges underwent an amputation due to a lack of treatment by her physician and St. Anthony’s Physician Group owned by OSF HealthCare System.
Barbara McBride filed the complaint in Madison County Circuit Court against St. Anthony's.
“OSF HealthCare has no comment on the lawsuit involving Barbara McBride,” said Shelli Dankoff, media relations program manager for OSF Healthcare.
According to the complaint, once a month from August 2017 to November 2017, McBride claims she sought medical care and treatment from her physician assistant, Arlene Norris at St. Anthony’s Physician Group in Godfrey. What began as bilateral toe and foot pain, generalized muscle aches, and right thigh pain developed into abnormal peripheral arterial disease in both of her lower extremities. Her condition allegedly led to an above-the-knee amputation of her left leg, according to the complaint.
On Oct. 26, 2017, McBride claims she forwarded a health screening report performed by Life Line Screening to Norris, indicating, in part, the results of her disease. She then had an appointment on Nov. 29, 2017.
“She was advised by Norris on this visit to continue warm water and soap soaks for her great toe but the screening results were not addressed by Norris,” the suit states.
In January 2018, McBride alleges she went to Alton Memorial Hospital with cellulitis of her left lower extremity, developing lymphangitis, sepsis, congestive heart failure, acute mental status changes and toxic encephalopathy. After diagnostic testing, she was diagnosed with severe peripheral vascular disease and was transferred to Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
It was at Barnes-Jewish Hospital that McBride was diagnosed with severe limb ischemia and high-grade stenosis of her left common external iliac arteries causing her to undergo surgery Jan. 7, 2018. Two days later, she had a below-the-knee amputation, followed by an above-the-knee amputation on January 11.
McBride seeks more than $50,000 in damages, alleging Norris failed to apply the knowledge, skill and care ordinarily used by a reasonably well-qualified health care provider. The suit alleges OSF Healthcare System and St. Anthony’s Physician Group negligently failed to supervise its agent, staff and employee Norris.
McBride claims she has and will continue to expend large sums of money for the hospital, physician, nursing and prosthetic care and treatment, sustain a significant loss of earnings from her former employment, suffer great pain and loss of her normal life and has been permanently disfigured as a result of mistreatment.
The plaintiff is represented by Robert Gregory of East Alton.
Madison County Circuit Court Case number 19-L-1047