December 2014

“We’re looking for justice” – Emil’s Story

Emil Mueller's family seeks justice for him and all the victims of the Nebraska Outbreak
Emil Mueller’s family seeks justice for him and all the victims of the Nebraska Outbreak

We are so grateful to Desarae Mueller-Fichepain, whose father’s story was featured last week in the article written by reporter Matthew Hansen. And we are grateful to Mr. Hansen, who we got to know when he joined us to take a tour of one of the four factories operated here in the state by our corporate colleagues BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.).
These exchanges, advocate to reporter and reporter to readers, are essential ones. Continued education and reeducation on proper injection safety is vital. What happened to Desarae’s dad, Mr. Emil Mueller, should not happen to anyone here in the United States—or, we think, anywhere in the world.

It is our honor to share the article, published in the Thursday, December 11, Omaha World-Herald. We thank Desarae, and all of the HONOReform advocates, for their openness, leadership and support.

Hansen: In massive hepatitis C outbreak in Fremont, the victims’ voices went unheard
Emil had fought off prostate cancer for a decade, battled it in the same steely way that he made it through each shift at Fremont’s Hormel plant. He clocked in at the plant each morning. He picked up his knife. He cleaved the fat off of giant, immovable slabs of ham.

Day after day. Year after year. No excuses. No complaining. That’s how Emil worked. That’s how he lived.

And then, in 2000 or 2001, Emil began to see the new oncologist in town, a doctor by the name of Tahir Ali Javed. He’s a nice guy, he told his daughter, Desarae.

But within months, Emil began to change. The color started to fade from his cheeks. His grit faded, too.
Read more

Drug Diversion, a Broken Healthcare System

Lauren Lollini is a patient safety advocate who has been integral in changing laws to keep patients safe as well as a member of the Drug Diversion Prevention Committee.
Lauren Lollini is a patient safety advocate who has been integral in changing laws to keep patients safe as well as a member of the Drug Diversion Prevention Committee.

If you are a regular member to this blog you will have heard me say these things before, so I apologize for the repetition, but it appears I may not be saying it loud enough. So I am thankful to have the support of fellow patient safety advocates, healthcare workers who understand the broken system as well as a series of talented reporters to help articulate the point.

Our healthcare system is broken, let me say that again, it is broken and not the way the majority of Americans might think after reading that statement. It isn’t about the Affordable Care Act, in fact, just the opposite. It is underneath the polished floors and inside the magnificent facilities. It is behind the scenes, what happens when most people are not watching.
Read more

Thanks to you and our many supporters, our work at HONOReform continues to evolve

Curtis McKnight talks about HONOReform

Once a year, HONOReform reaches out to our loyal supporters to ask for their continued support of our mission. We include below the text of a letter we are sending this week to many of our previous donors. In advance, we are grateful for the generous support, and we ask you to please consider forwarding this request to people in your network.

Dear Friend,

Thanks to you and our other helpful supporters and donors, our work at HONOReform continues to evolve. We never waver from our core mission and message, the absolute importance of protecting the medical injection process for Americans. Our goal is to do all we can to prevent outbreaks caused by lack of adherence to medical injection fundamentals.

In the last couple years, however, we have explored additional injection safety issues that can cause harm to patients—misuse of insulin pens, reuse of single-dose medical vials, and drug diversion, among others. There have been many very good advances, and there is a lot of work ahead of us.

I value our work at HONOReform…and my roles as board president, presenter and spokesperson. I believe we make a difference, and that we contribute to public health and wellness. But, I have to say, I really felt the impact of our work when my son Curtis, as part of his medical training, reported that our work was highlighted during his training. When he called to tell me about it, I asked “Did you whisper to your neighbor, ‘That’s my mom?’” “No,” he replied. “I just yelled it out for everyone to hear!”

I am, clearly, a proud mother. This pride extends to the services that we provide here at HONOReform. I thank you for your recognition of our work—and your support and your generosity. Together, we reeducate healthcare providers and educate the public on the importance of proper medical injection technique.

I encourage you to please continue to help support our work. Go to www.HONOReform.org to donate to our vital mission. If you have any questions, please contact our executive director, Steve Langan (; 402.659.6343).

Our many thanks.

Sincerely,

Evelyn

402.708.7951