Medical negligence is always a tragedy, but a recent lawsuit out of New York highlights a particularly shocking breach of trust: the victim was one of the hospital’s own healthcare workers. The Deep DiveJana Petriganova DeGregoris wasn’t just any patient walking through the doors of Mount Sinai in Manhattan. She is a nurse practitioner within the Mount Sinai hospital network itself. Unfortunately, knowing the healthcare system inside and out didn’t protect her from a devastating, life-altering surgical error. Following a procedure, Jana endured seven long years of unexplained, debilitating agony. Despite living with persistent pain, it wasn’t until a CT scan in late 2025 that the horrifying truth was finally brought to light: a 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) surgical needle had been carelessly left behind inside her abdomen. She had to undergo an entirely separate surgery just to have the forgotten object removed. What makes this ongoing story stand out is the direct public accountability. The recent media exposé doesn’t hide behind anonymous titles; it clearly names the institution and the specific medical professionals involved in the botched care. The lawsuit officially names Mount Sinai Hospital alongside surgeons Dr. Isabel Blumberg, Dr. Philip Torina, and Dr. Scott Nguyen. “Never Events” can happen to anyoneThis case is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of “never events” in the operating room. When retained surgical items go unnoticed, they steal years of a patient’s life—proving that even dedicated healthcare professionals aren’t immune to the horrific errors of the very systems they serve. |
