Ritz & Goldfish May Have Salmonella

Ritz and Goldfish crackers among the growing list of related food recalls for possible salmonella contaminationhttps://www.cnn.com/2018/07/24/health/recalls-due-to-possible-salmonella-in-whey-protein/index.html

(CNN)The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert Friday for foods that contain whey powder. Whey powder is an ingredient regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used in a number of foods.

According to a 2017 study, whey powder is used to modify texture, thicken foods, gel foods and to enhance solubility and transportability of foods.

"The whey powder is an FDA-regulated product that is being voluntarily recalled by the producer, Associated Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI). Additional FSIS-regulated products containing the recalled whey powder may be added to this public health alert as more information becomes available," FSIS said in announcing the recall.

Symptoms of salmonella begin 12 to 72 hours after a person is infected and include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping. This can last about four to seven days, and most individuals recover without treatment. However, those who develop severe diarrhea may need to be hospitalized. Those who are very young, who are very old or who have compromised immune systems are most at risk for complications and severe cases of illness.

No illnesses have been reported so far due to these recalls but consumers should not eat any of the recalled foods because they could make you sick.

It's All Fun And Games Until....

Injuries and Deaths at Amusement Parks Raise Serious Questions    A series of highly-publicized accidents at amusement parks and other popular tourist attractions have led to serious injuries as well as fatalities, causing many to question the sufficiency of the safety rules governing sites of this type. Even a cursory survey of the regulations and inspection requirements applicable in states across the country reveals an inconsistent patchwork of standards which may be to blame for some of the harm sustained by visitors each and every year. Recent accidents cause concern, outrage The summer of 2016 has been characterized by several catastrophic amusement park accidents which have left young patrons with severe injuries and, in some cases, have resulted in death. August alone saw the tragic decapitation of a ten-year-old Kansas boy on the "Verruckt" water slide at the Schlitterbahn water park as well as a Tennessee Ferris wheel failure which sent three girls plummeting to the ground. In May, an 11-year-old girl was essentially scalped in a carnival ride accident at a Cinco de Mayo festival in Nebraska. This summer also witnessed the death of a guest at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in North Carolina due to infection caused by an undetected amoeba later identified on site. READ MORE HERE 50 Years Of Helping  The Sanders Firm has been proud to serve our community for 50 years. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured from an amusement park accident, please call 1800-FAIR-PLAY today.  LINK TO OUR WEBSITE

Long Island Hospital Safety Grades: National Rankings Released By RYAN BONNER (Patch National Staff) - April 25, 2016 5:01 pm ET

The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by employers and health-care providers, announced its spring 2016 hospital safety rankings Monday, a measure of how safe a hospital is for patients.

Hospitals were given a letter grade from A through F based on several factors. Of the 2,571 hospitals studied nationwide, 798 earned an A, 639 earned a B, 957 earned a C, 162 earned a D and 15 earned an F.

At the state level, New York was ranked 44th in the nation. Vermont was ranked No. 1; six hospitals in the state were ranked, and five were given an A grade. Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Minnesota rounded out the top five.

State rankings were based on a percentage of state hospitals receiving an A grade.

Leapfrog looked at medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections to determine the grades. The goal was to determine a patient's risk of further injury or infection if they visited a certain hospital.

Hospitals given a B rating by Leapfrog had a 9 percent higher risk of avoidable death than A hospitals. That number jumps to 35 percent in C hospitals and 50 percent higher in D and F hospitals.

Leapfrog ranked 143 New York hospitals. Here are the grades Long Island hospitals received. (Visit the full list to learn more about individual rankings.)

A

• John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Port Jefferson
• Huntington Hospital, Huntington
• St. Francis Hospital of Roslyn, Roslyn

B

• Eastern Long Island Hospital, Greenport
• Mercy Medical Center, Rockville Centre
• South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside
• Southampton Hospital, Southampton
• St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, Smithtown
• St. Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson
• Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola

C

• Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, West Islip
• Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow
• North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset
• Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park
• Franklin Hospital, Valley Stream
• Glen Cove Hospital, Glen Cove
• Plainview Hospital, Plainview
• Syosset Hospital, Syosset
• St. Joseph Hospital, Bethpage

D

• Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Patchogue
• Southside Hospital, Bay Shore
• Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead

F

• Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook

A Comment From Sanders Firm Attorney 

Theodore F. Goralski

"Patch reports on Long Island Hospital safety rankings. Many Long Islanders with the means and the ability to choose travel to Manhattan hospitals for quality care. This national ranking of hospitals shows that there may be good reason for that. Only three of 23 area hospitals received an A grade for patient safety. There are more facilities with D's and F's than A's and C was the most common grade. This means that there is significant risk of further injury or infection when admitted to a Long Island hospital. At The Sanders Firm, we have decades of experience protecting patients. The Sanders Firm Supports patient safety. If you or a loved one have been injured due to substandard hospital care call 516-741-5252 or email us at tgoralski@thesandersfirm.com for a free consultation."