Treyfish
Moderator
By Brian Mylar | KSAT.com
POSTED: Friday, October 9, 2009
UPDATED: 10:08 pm CDT October 9, 2009
<!--startindex-->SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio girl's death last week is now being linked to swine flu and the Department of State Health Services is investigating.
But this tragedy is just part of the story. There are concerns the girl may have infected other children because of questionable care at a local treatment center. It was last week when an 11-year-old girl was taken to Methodist Stone Oak Hospital with flu symptoms.
She later died, becoming the city's latest swine flu death.
She was in foster care and Lydia Rodriguez stepped forward, claiming to be the girl's birth mother.
"(Child Protective Services) didn't take care of her the way they were supposed to,? said Rodriguez, who has had nine children. ?The foster parents weren't taking care of her. She had asthma," she added.
She identified the girl as Jo Angel and says her death could have been prevented. She also said that before the girl was taken to Methodist, she was in Laurel Ridge Treatment Center.
Cynthia Hartsfield said her relative was also in Laurel Ridge just after the 11-year-old girl was there. She worries that other children may have been infected because of the center's staffing and level of care.
"It's very poor care,? said Hartsfield. ?And it falls well below the standard of care from what I could see."
Metro Health confirmed the girl's death was the result of H1N1 flu. While they have no investigation planned, the Department of State Health Services does.
However, the agency would not clarify what exactly it is investigating.
Laurel Ridge cannot comment on specific cases, but in a statement, spokeswoman Andrea Lindsley wrote: ?Our staff follows strict protocol to maintain the safety of patients and staff. That includes following CDC guidelines for disinfection. Our record of providing medical care is very, very good.?
However, that did not satisfied Hartsfield.
"I was extremely angry," she said.
She is glad to see an investigation by the state.
Laurel Ridge continued its statement: ?If a patient has a contagious illness... our staff follows strict protocol to maintain the safety of patients and staff.?
As for the birth mother, Child Protective Services said her parental rights were terminated some time ago.:tiphat:http://www.ksat.com/health/21256645/detail.html