Help safeguard patients

Re “ ‘The stress was overwhelming,’ ” Jan. 15

Dennis and Kimberly Quaid had a traumatic experience when they discovered that their babies had undergone potentially devastating treatments at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Perhaps they can take some comfort in knowing that because of their celebrity status, the errors were newsworthy, thereby possibly saving lesser-known parents and babies from the same or worse fates.

Valerie Fields

Los Angeles

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The Quaids report that they were never called during the night when their children were in trouble.

As someone who was never called while my mother lay dying alone in the hospital despite having given the hospital my name, I can certainly relate.

I was never even informed that she was in the hospital.

Maybe the Quaids have asked, as I have many times over the past year, what was the hospital’s policy, procedure and protocol for contacting next-of-kin listed in the chart?

I’m guessing they haven’t gotten a clear answer.

There ought to be a next-of-kin contact law so that no one in the hospital struggles (or dies) alone needlessly. I will be the first to sign up to volunteer for the Quaids’ patient safety foundation.

Katy Hickman

Los Angeles