Josie's story

the long version

Medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States, but the subject has long been taboo. All that changed with Josie. Sorrel King's 18-month-old daughter was badly burned, but in the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, she made a remarkable recovery. Then, as she was preparing to leave, Josie was given a fatal shot of methadone, sending her into cardiac arrest. Within 48 hours, the King family went from planning a homecoming to planning a funeral. Dizzy with grief, Sorrel slowly pulled herself and her life back together. Accepting Hopkins' settlement, she and her husband established the Josie King Foundation. They began to implement basic programs in hospitals emphasizing communication between patients, family, and medical staff--practices which can now be found in hospitals around the country. This account of one woman's unlikely path is the chronicle of how a mother is transforming the face of American medicine.--From publisher description.