Intuitive Surgical (da Vinci Robots) Plagued with Lawsuits Wins U.S. DOD Contract Worth $430 M
Disclaimer June 30, 2015: I was informed (but not able to verify) that the owners of the site Medtech[y] are unethical people, unknowingly written about previously on this site, whom I would not work with had their identities been originally known. I came to know the Medtechy[y] when their name appeared on the back end of the analytics on Killing My Career (which is a tactic many unethical will do to get noticed). The ethical approach is writing an email & introducing the company with the goals and missions while explaining the need for anonymity.
The need for anonymity when creating a site that exposes the truth others would rather remain hidden is acceptable if owners are still employed by one of the companies they’re exposing or fear of retaliation; however, it is not acceptable to create a site under a new name to distance from previous unethical behavior. The Sociopathic Business Model™ maintains all supporters (accomplices) eventually become victims of unethical and or illegal behavior and, while I agree with the fundamentals of the site, can no longer support their efforts until affirmative proof to the contrary is provided. It’s up to each person reading this site to make the best decisions based on all the facts.
March 3, 2015
Intuitive Surgical maker of the da Vinci robot is currently plagued with lawsuits; and, despite all the lawsuits the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded the company a $430 million five-year contract. That’s certainly inconsistent & contradictory language to action on the part of the U.S. Government to reward continued unethical and or illegal behavior. Like the VA system doesn’t have enough trouble the DOD (on behalf of veterans) really thought adding lawsuit inducing robots to the mix was helpful?
And as a rep who was previously in on many of these cases in conjunction with my own products, all this robot did was create additional needless hours to a case. A case that took 1 hour pre robot too 3 with the robot. (Think about writing a book when something can be said in a sentence-same concept here from my perspective). In my experience, the only reps who liked this thing were the ones that sold it and the hospitals stupid enough to purchase one-then tried to use it in every case possible to recoup the cost of their investment.
So-Intuitive Surgical paid roughly $67 million to the DOJ last year only to get that back x 6 this year at the taxpayer expense? If I were a victim from the da Vinci device I would be livid over this news and if you’re a taxpayer you should be livid over this news.
It’s been stated on this site before that if any company currently has cases in federal court it should automatically negate that company from any type of government funding, such as Johnson & Johnson who has well over 30,000 cases in federal court for hips and mesh yet wants Ebola funding.
It’s stories like this that really having me saying: #HeyMrDOJ how about playing a new song-quit rewarding unethical and illegal behavior with our tax dollars and remember who pays your salary-it’s not the corporations it’s the taxpayers.
Melayna Lokosky
Thank you for adding more to the story and I will continue to research (thank you for including links). Yes, “World Class Care” or “Center of Excellence” in most cases are the equivalent to a company declaring their product the “gold standard,” and nothing more than #PRSpin without credentialing. I hope that the Da Vinci victims are including all the necessary people in their cases. I do agree it’s time for CEO’s to be held accountable from the companies as well as from the hospitals; however, I have to disagree that GM’s CEO Mary Barra was held accountable-she still has a job and she shouldn’t. https://www.killingmycareer.com/the-sociopathic-business-model/gm-mary-barra-pr-spin-unspun/
Pastor Jim
If they plan on using these things in the VA system, it might actually be an improvement over existing surgical care.
Many VA’s are the last resort of surgeons on their way down the career ladder. Many of them are also teaching hospitals so the docs on the way up can make their mistakes on Uncle Sam’s white rats.
And, no, I’ve not actually ever been treated in one, although I’m eligible. I did, however, work at two; I am not proud to say that.
Melayna Lokosky
I’ve been in the OR before when it’s mentioned the da Vinci is scheduled for the case and watched everyone in the room look at each other in disbelief and heard hospital staff mutter that the push is coming from the hosptial management to recoup the costs of their investment. If the device is used properly I agree but if it’s used solely as a money making device-the results will likely not benefit the patient but will the device maker and the hospital who bills out the procedure.
Hadn’t realized you worked at two VA’s-any thoughts as what’s going on at the Phoenix VA?
Pastor Jim
My only surprise at the recent turn of events in the VA “care” delivery system is that it too this long to surface. It was a big part of the Ron Kovic story nobody ever followed up on. It’s been around for a looooong time.
Melayna Lokosky
Sadly, usually unless there’s a personal connection to a story there’s public apathy after the initial bolus of attention and outrage that the corrupt count on to continue unchallenged their unethical and illegal ways. The VA victims not unlike the mesh and hip implant victims are often too sick to keep hounding the media to get the attention they need to bring about positive change. Social media does seem to help but doesn’t take it far enough. And sadly in the case of the VA I’m not too hopeful Bob McDonald can learn and fix a system that’s completely new to him. He also has a mis-remembering problem similar to Brian Williams: “Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Tuesday apologized for lying about serving in the special operations forces in a conversation with a homeless veteran that was caught on camera earlier this year.”