On the morning of Nov. 12, 2019, a Danville couple brought their 2-year-old daughter, Ailee, to the hospital to treat her stage 4 cancer. They were nervous about the risky and complicated operation known as a liver resection, despite assurance from one of the doctors that “I can do this with my eyes closed.”
Ailee died on the operating table later that day.
A Chronicle investigation discovered that in the weeks before the surgery, John Muir Health leaders ignored stark warnings from its own staff that the hospital was not equipped to execute Ailee’s specialized liver procedure.
On this episode of Fifth & Mission, Chronicle reporters Matthias Gafni and Cynthia Dizikes join host Cecilia Lei to discuss their exhaustive reporting on the care provided to Ailee Jong, and whether the hospital’s decision to undertake the surgery put profit and prestige ahead of patient safety. You will also hear from Ailee’s parents, Tom and Truc-Co, and Dr. Alicia Kalamas, the former medical director who said she warned hospital leaders about the surgery.
