11 October 2007

Yet Another Reason to Love Him

For those of you who don't know, George Clooney was in a small motorcycle accident several weeks ago and it was leaked to the press. So now the hospital staff that treated him are facing suspension for leaking the info. And this was his response. (Taken from IMDB: link)
Clooney Appeals Against Hospital Workers' Suspension

Actor George Clooney has appealed to officials at a New Jersey hospital not to suspend staff over the leaking of his personal information to the media in the aftermath of his motorcycle crash last month. Up to 40 employees and medical staff at the Palisades Medical Center are suspected of breaking confidentiality laws by revealing details of the Michael Clayton actor's condition and medical records after his admission to the hospital. Clooney and his new girlfriend Sarah Larson were knocked off his motorcycle by a car on September 21. They were taken to the Palisades Medical Center, where he received treatment for a rib fracture and grazes, while Larson saw doctors for two broken toes. But the kind-hearted star, 46, is stunned by the magnitude of the situation. He says in a statement: "This is the first I've heard of it. And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers."
Now seriously, how much more lovely could he be?

ETA: I got some details wrong, so for the full story go the the NYT article here.

6 comments:

Panini said...

I know. I was impressed by that, too. Speaking of people that act crazy around the famous (medical workers lead me to paparazzi :) What do you think about Dodi Fayed's (sp?) father's allegations about the death of Dodi and Diana and the whole trial this has spurred?

Scully said...

I honestly haven't been paying attention to it. It was ten years ago, they should let her rest in peace and let her children live in the present.

blackjazz said...

Sorry to get technical... but it's not a trial, it's an inquest. "It's not a balloon, it's a Zeppelin!!" (Monty Python's Flying Circus)

I'm not an expert on the UK legal system and I don't know what the equivalent is in the US, but my understanding is that one of the reasons an inquest has to be held is if somebody met a violent or unnatural death. So, in Diana's case it was not optional. What is unusual is the fact that it's taken so long to hold it. The delays have been because it's waited for things happening in the French legal system and various other investigations.

The object of the exercise is simply to:
1. Identify the deceased.
2. Decide the place of death.
3. Decide the time of death.
4. Decide how the deceased came to die.

I guess the first 3 should be relatively easy to decide, but there's a lot of theories about the fourth.

I share your concern, Scully, for Diana's children. But the legal process will grind on.

It's certainly another excuse to publish more photos of Diana in newspapers. She sold papers when she was alive and she's been selling them for the last 10 years. There are some tabloids that must have published a photo of her in nearly every edition for more than 10 years, so the exploitation carries on...

Anonymous said...

Well, some disciplinary action should be taken against the medical workers. I mean, they did break their policy by releasing patient's medical information.

Scully said...

In the US, BlackJazz, if their is a violent death, there is just an investigation and the details are kept quiet, as unless someone is charged no one but law enforcement and district/state/federal attornies get the details. Anyone please correct me if I am wrong.

CherBear, I got some of the details wrong, so check out the link to the NYT story. Apparently some people are getting suspended just for looking at his file, not necessarily leaking it. Which I guess is why he urged leniency. Suspension can be a career-ender in the medical profession.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/nyregion/10clooney.html?em&ex=1192161600&en=c732a78b9ef3219b&ei=5087%0A

Scully said...

Ok, so all of the link didn't make it in the comment. I'll post the link in the blog.