Rasouli - Medical Futility and Physician Power

Robert Cribb has a superb and detailed
article on the Rasouli case in Friday's Toronto Star.  Among other
interesting observations, Sunnybrook is apparently far more willing to stand up
to surrogates than are other Toronto hospitals.



While Cribb does
not note it, this is borne out by the several recent cases in which Sunnybrook (allegedly) acted unilaterally and did not seek consent through the CCB process.  Three cases other than Rasouli are

1. Man Kee Li


2. DeGuerre / Wawrzyniak (lawsuit for damages)


3. DeGuerre / Wawrzyniak (licensure/registration action)

Barry Swadron, who represents a family in another lawsuit against
Sunnybrook, says:  "I’ve had at least a dozen
people call me over the past two years with similar incidents at Sunnybrook. . . .  Sunnybrook appears to be an island unto itself. The doctors and
staff seem to think they’re not subject to the procedures that govern other
hospitals in Ontario.”