Allen Tittle's Medical Malpractice Awareness Scholarship Winners
At Tittle & Perlmuter, we believe raising awareness of important issues is essential to fixing the problems at hand.
We introduced the Allen Tittle’s Medical Malpractice Awareness Scholarship to provide students with the opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of patient advocacy and medical malpractice in today’s healthcare industry.
This scholarship aimed to not only raise awareness of the dangers of medical malpractice but to also provide support for those affected. To learn about different forms of medical malpractice including physician negligence, surgical errors, sepsis, and more, download a free copy of our Medical Malpractice Guide.
To have been considered for this scholarship, we asked students to submit an original essay discussing the importance of being a patient advocate in today’s healthcare industry. We also encouraged students to describe a time in which they, or someone they knew, experienced receiving poor medical care and what they learned from that experience.
2023 Winner: Kacie Cassar
Biography:
Kacie is a freshman JD candidate at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she is studying to be a lawyer. The university is her grandfather’s alma mater, to whom she dedicated her essay on patient advocacy. Not only did her essay move our staff, Kacie set herself apart with her involvement in both her school and community. Her essay talks about her grandfather’s passing due to medical malpractice and she has committed her future career as a lawyer to “fighting for those who cannot”.
Reaction: I am extremely grateful to be Tittle & Perlmuter’s 2023 Medical Malpractice Scholarship winner. Patient Advocacy is such an important issue these days as we all want the best care and support for our loved ones. This issue hits close to home for me as I could imagine it does for many. I am thankful for law firms such as Tittle & Perlmuter who help stand up for those who have been hurt and wronged by instances of medical malpractice. I am honored to have been chosen and am thankful for the support as I continue my law school journey.
2022 Winner: Kenneth Bisher
Biography:
Kenny is a Senior at Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is a member of National Honor Society and is passionate about baseball, a sport he’s played since age 4. His primary position is pitcher. Kenny also has played basketball for many years and did a stint of volunteer work as an assistant coach for a youth basketball team. When he’s not working at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kenny enjoys playing guitar, hitting the heavy bag, and reading. Kenny plans on attending college after graduation and is considering majoring in either Engineering or Business. Kenny’s essay for this scholarship is dedicated to the memory of his brother, Cory, who died of medical malpractice in 2015.
Reaction: I couldn’t be more thankful and honored to be selected for the scholarship. It really blew me away and brightened up my day as I was just about to leave for work when I found out.
2022 Runner-up: Krishika Sureshwaran
Biography:
Hello, I am Krishika Sureshwaran, and I am currently a second-year law student at Albany Law School. During my time at law school, I have had the opportunity to learn about many different legal fields. However, I am most interested in pursuing a legal career as a health law attorney, primarily as a patient advocate. When I am not busy with law school, I also volunteer at the American Red Cross. I started volunteering when I was 13 and this was where my interest in the healthcare field and the legal field first began. In my free time, I love to garden.
Reaction:
When I first saw the email, I truly thought it was a rejection email. But I was very shocked to find out that I was runner-up! I felt ecstatic and proud to have been selected and I am truly thankful for this opportunity.
2021 Winner: Alayna Gruesbeck
Biography:
Hello, I am Alayna Gruesbeck. I am a current senior at Little Miami High School, in Morrow, Ohio, graduating in 2022. I plan on attending college in the fall of 2022 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science/Kinesiology. My plan after that is to be accepted into a Physical Therapy school and earn my DPT. In my free time I am a gymnastics coach at Perfection Gymnastics and I am a Kroger Pickup employee. I also like to volunteer any time possible and every Sunday, I teach Sunday School to 3rd and 4th graders. I love seeing the athletes and students I teach learn and grow in their interests. For many years I was a gymnast and a cheerleader and I loved it! I unfortunately was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which caused constant injuries. Having to rehab my injuries got me interested in Physical Therapy and learning more about my diagnosis. My career goals include advocating for those with an illness who feel silenced and to help break the stigma of people living with invisible diseases.
Reaction:
Thank you so much for selecting me to receive this scholarship. When I first got the email, I had to do a double take because it felt so surreal. I feel so honored and proud that I was selected, so thank you again.
2020 Winner: Lauren Watts
In 2020 we received countless applications from deserving students all across the country. After serious consideration, we are ecstatic to announce that Lauren Watts has been selected as the winner of the 2020 Allen Tittle’s Medical Scholarship! Lauren attends Plano East Senior High and Collin College as a dual college credit student. During highschool she earned her associate’s degree in Applied Science, as well as her CNA Certification. When COVID is not interfering, she enjoys volunteering at the SPCA and various senior rehabilitation and retirement facilities. She also loves riding horses and teaching equestrian skills to younger children.
Throughout her essay, Lauren showed the importance of acting quickly when facing medical emergencies, as well as the issues that can arise from understaffing in nursing homes.
We encourage everyone to read Lauren’s essay below:
My first night in my CNA clinical shaped the beginning of my medical career. I was so nervous on my first day, but I took on the challenge proudly. Toward the end of the night, I was completing some notes about a patient when I heard a code blue in the quarantine room in front of me. The patient was recovering from tuberculosis, and his heart had stopped. It wasn’t like the movies where everyone rushed into the room; in fact, there was no one around—just me. Without hesitation, I gowned up and went in. I realized he was not breathing and had no pulse, so I called for help and started CPR. His walls were covered with pictures of family members, and it seemed like they were all watching me. I was exhausted, but I knew I couldn’t stop. The EMTs arrived, and they were able to use an AED to revive the patient. I was told that the patient would have died without my actions, and at that very moment, I was sure I wanted to save lives. I was certain I wanted to be an advocate for all patients. I had given this patient an extra week to say goodbye to his family. In my death and dying class, I learned that giving family members time to say goodbye helps them accept what is happening. I needed to give this to his family. Saving this patient’s life is just one of the many patient advocacy examples I have encountered while working on my Certified Nurses Assistant certification. Let me give you a little bit of history about my choice to complete my Certified Nurses Assistant certification. I have been accepted to Baylor University, where I will complete course work to become an OB/GYN. My parents have always told me to start at the bottom and work your way up. So, I began by working with the most vulnerable population, senior citizens. The end goal was to see the role that each medical career plays in working with patients. This certification opened my eyes to so much. I understand why patient advocacy is so important. During my time at the rehabilitation center, I noticed that several of the residents did not have much family. I saw that some of the patients were treated differently than others. I observed some behaviors that would not be acceptable for any medical professional. While working with patients at the rehabilitation center, I frequently asked myself these questions to ensure I was focused on the quality of their care:
- Would I want to be treated that way?
- Would I want my family to be treated that way?
- How can I make this patient feel important?
- How can I make this patient feel loved?
In conclusion, it is up to every medical professional, including the doctors, nurses, and medical administration, to ensure that every patient has a voice. It is up to them to ensure patients are treated with dignity and love.
2019 Winner: Regina Russo
In 2019 we received over 165 applications from 33 states all over the country! These inspiring essays included touching stories from students who experienced negligence in the healthcare industry and realized how important it is to be a patient advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
Tittle & Perlmuter awarded Regina Russo with the first place award. Regina received a $1,000 scholarship check that will be used towards her senior year at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Regina has maintained an average GPA above 3.5 and is an active member of the Cleveland State Law Review, the Women’s Law Student Association, and serves as a mentor to younger students.
Read Regina’s essay about the importance of patient advocacy here:
“Many people fear that they will become a hamster on a wheel when it comes to their careers. They fear that the days will become circular, meaningless, and mundane. They fear the infamous 9 to 5 lifestyle. Despite this fear and despite promising oneself that they will never fall into this life, it happens.
It happens to accountants.
It happens to engineers.
It happens to doctors.
It happened to Andy. He wakes up at 5 am every morning, he goes for a run, he brews a pot of coffee, he gets stuck in morning traffic, he gets to the office, he reviews the day’s paperwork, he reads over his list of faceless patients for the day, he sees Patient #1, he checks his vitals, he thoughtlessly goes over a standard checklist with Patient #1, he checks all the boxes, he sends Patient #1 home, and tells him to come back in a year. Andy repeats this process on twenty-seven patients. At three in the afternoon, he goes home, makes dinner, watches the news, and goes to bed. The next morning, he begins the cycle again.
One month later, Patient #1 unexpectedly dies. Amidst Andy’s thoughtlessness and eagerness to get through his visit with Patient #1 so that he could stay on schedule, Andy skipped a box on his checklist. Skipping that one box caused Patient #1’s early death. Patient #1 was a relatively healthy 58-year-old man. He was a soon-to-be grandfather. He was married for 31 years. He had five children. He had the same job since the age of 18 and worked his way up to a respectable and comfortable position. He was set to retire in one year. After retirement, he had plans to travel Europe for three months with his wife, a lifelong goal of theirs.
All of that was gone when Andy skipped one box. It was not the first box Andy skipped. And it likely will not be the last.
It’s important to be a patient advocate in today’s health care industry because the above scenario plays out far too often. It is not solely Andy’s fault for his negligence. It is the institution he works for, it is the health care industry as a whole, it is the societal pressure that is put on doctors to see twenty-seven patients in one day. Patients need advocates. They need lawyers to protect them and to send a message to the health care industry: pay attention, check all your boxes, be meticulous, and show compassion to your patients.
Patients are not faceless people. They are humans with unique needs and it is a doctor’s duty to tailor their care appropriately. Patient #1 was named Vincent. His grandchildren will never know their grandfather. His children are fatherless. His wife is a widow. The simple act of missing one box has an endless ripple effect. Vincent’s untimely death was entirely preventable. A patient advocate’s purpose is to fight for Vincent and his family. There must be accountability in the health care industry. Being a doctor should not be a mundane job. It is one that should be held on a pedestal. If there is no accountability, there will be no respect for the health care industry. If there is no respect for the health care industry, doctors stop taking their jobs seriously. When doctors stop respecting themselves and taking their jobs seriously, they skip boxes.
Patient advocates are here to ensure that the medical profession does not become a “hamster-on-a-wheel” job, but one that is full of integrity and professionalism so that each and every patient receives proper care.”
2019 Runner Up: Whitnee Pearce
Tittle & Perlmuter awarded the second-place scholarship to Whitnee Pearce, a senior at the University of Oklahoma. Whitnee serves as a Director of the South Dakota Poetry Society, is a member of the American Association of University Women, and participates in the Lambda Pi Eta Association of Writers & Writing Programs.
“Thank you for the opportunity and for your help! I am humbled by your gratitude for this award.” – Whitnee Pearce
Read Whitnee’s essay here:
Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ is Lakota for “we are all related”. This is a concept that is very much woven into the very fiber of not only the culture of the Lakota but throughout the daily duties, lifestyle, and choices you make as a relative to all. I currently work on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and this phrase is something that I believe even those outside of the communities should consider and remember when they are living their lives.
For the Pine Ridge community, Indian Health Services (IHS), is the only health care provider. Unfortunately, while IHS was created to maintain treaty rights for Native Americans from the US Government, the health services provided by IHS are some of the most “bottom of the barrel” services provided throughout the United States. According to Red Cloud Indian School, “Life expectancy on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is the lowest in the United States—twenty years less than communities just 400 miles away—and on par with the countries of India, Sudan and Iraq”. While this number may seem staggering, it does not stop there. According to the American Indian Humanitarian Fund, “death due to heart disease is twice the national average, the infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average, almost 50% of the adults on the Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes, teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150% higher than the U.S. national average, and at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys.” IHS lacks preventative care for individuals, technology to treat the advancement of illnesses, and are understaffed and ill-equipped to manage the numbers of individuals needing not only treatment, but diagnosis.
I see every day from my students, friends, coworkers, the need for patient advocacy, particularly in the area of IHS. I see my students become sick, lose loved ones unexpectedly from misdiagnosis, and even have watched as students as young as 27 years old battle stage 3 cervical cancer while attending school due to mistreatment at IHS. I have also watched a coworker and someone who I view as my relative suffer daily at work as he drove students, took care of the grounds work of the college, and maintain the college center. He was in so much pain daily but pushed through for the betterment of his “relatives” and the school. Although he saw doctor after doctor, he never received any answers and IHS would not refer him on to the larger hospital, Rapid City Regional Hospital for help. Due to his poverty conditions, he could not seek outside opinions or medical help. In less than a year he died suddenly and after further investigation, he had colon cancer that had been left untreated and misdiagnosed. He could have not only potentially survived, but lived more years without suffering if he would have been advocated for as he deserved.
Seeing with my own eyes, relatives suffer and die due to inefficient patient care is one of the hardest things I have ever had to witness. Patient advocacy is imperative at all medical facilities to ensure that patients’ rights are being maintained and that they are not being shuffled along due to inadequate funds, lack of equipment, or lackadaisical attitudes by medical professionals. Patient advocacy can truly save lives and I believe if there were a better infrastructure of patient advocacy within the Indian Health Services that the treatment and survival of Native Americans would be much higher in this country.
Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ: we are all related. What would you do to save your relative?
Allen Tittle’s Medical Malpractice Awareness Scholarship
The attorneys at Tittle & Perlmuter believe that raising awareness about medical malpractice is an important part of their jobs as medical malpractice lawyers- that’s why Allen Tittle’s Medical Malpractice Awareness Scholarship was created.
To learn more about medical malpractice or to submit an inquiry for a possible medical malpractice case, fill out a contact form or call (216)-438-9639.
