Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe [Hardcover]

Sorrel King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0802119204 | ISBN-13: 978-0802119209 | Edition: 1

Ninety-eight thousand people die every year from medical errors, making it a leading cause of death in the United States, but the subject has long been taboo. All that changed with Josie. Sorrel King’s eighteen-month-old daughter was badly burned by a faulty water heater in the family’s new home, but was taken to the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she made a remarkable recovery. But as she was preparing to leave, the hospital’s system of communication broke down and Josie was given a fatal shot of methadone, sending her into cardiac arrest. Within forty-eight hours, the King family went from planning a homecoming to planning a funeral. Dizzy with grief and close to ending her marriage, 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. The account of one woman’s unlikely path from full-time mom to nationally renowned patient advocate, Josie’s Story is the inspirational chronicle of how a mother—and her unforgettable daughter—are transforming the face of American medicine.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 2001, the six-member King family had just relocated to a new home in Baltimore when tragedy struck: 17-month-old Josie, wandering unsupervised, turned on a hot water tap and was badly scalded. Rushed to Johns Hopkins hospital, Josie spent 17 days in recovery and was scheduled to be released, but sudden cardiac arrest killed her before she made it out. The hospital admitted their mistake: improper hydration and a mistakenly administered dose of prescription painkiller methadone. Even more shocking, the Kings learned that theirs was not a unique tragedy; in the U.S., somewhere between 44,000 and 98,000 people die every year from medical errors. Using their $1.5 million settlement, the Kings founded an advocacy group, the Josie King Foundation, which, in partnership Johns Hopkins, spearheads a national drive for patient safety programs. This painful but inspiring memoir is a compelling drama of family grief amid the dysfunctional U.S. health care system, buttressed by a 20-page resource guide for patients, families and health-care providers.
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Review

“Sorrel King is a heroic figure in the healthcare movement. Josie's story and Sorrel's determination are making care safer for millions of patients. At its core, this is a powerful and immensely moving love story.”—Charles Kenney, Quality and Safety Consultant to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

“Josie’s story has served as a beacon for me and thousands of other healthcare professionals.”—Dr. Louise Liang, former Senior Vice President, Quality and Clinical Systems Support, Kaiser Permanente

“Sorrell’s story . . . teaches us that listening is as important as doing, reminding us that our learning is a journey, and that our true teachers sit in front of us in hospital beds and on exam tables each day.”—Dr. David Shulkin, President and CEO, Beth Israel Medical Center, NY

“I am confident that Sorrel has saved countless lives by sharing her story and challenging physicians and administrators to critically examine how they provide care. She made a difference for our children’s hospital and we are forever grateful.”—Craig Cordola, CEO, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital of Houston, TX

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1 edition (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802119204
• ISBN-13: 978-0802119209
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOME RUN!, August 20, 2009

By 

M. Murphy (baltimore, md United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe (Hardcover)

Sorrel King knocks it out of the park with this book that deal's with an issue all parents fear. She show's the grief she bears and how she and her family work through it all. And in the process takes on Johns Hopkins Medical Center...and comes out a winner.
This book is a must for every family, hospital and library in America.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book - Josie's Story. True Story, June 2, 2010

By 

S. Murrell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe (Hardcover)

What a riveting story! I could not stop reading and as soon as I was done, I gave it to my favorite nurse at the hospital where I work. Highly recommend!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Heroes, October 20, 2009

By 

Story Circle Book Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe (Hardcover)

I met Sorrel King, her husband Tony and their four children at a friend's home in Boulder, Colorado a few winters ago. They were on a ski vacation that they hoped would give them a break from grieving the death of Josie, the baby of the family until Sam was born, shortly after Josie's death. I watched the King family try to fit in, laugh, look normal. Watching the kids play helped, but adults in the room felt the tension, wondered if they should mention Josie, offer their condolences again.

In 2001, Josie King, when eighteen-months-old, was badly burned in the family's new home because of a faulty water heater. She was rushed to one of the best hospitals in the nation, John Hopkins. On the very day she was supposed to go home after a remarkable recovery, she died because of a medical error.

When Josie's parents learned that ninety-eight thousand people die each year from medical errors while receiving treatment in hospitals throughout the United States, they used the money they'd received from John Hopkins as settlement to start the Josie King Foundation. This book is the story of Sorrel's fight to save other families from having to experience a death caused by medical error. She is today a leading voice in the patient-safety movement that emphasizes communication between patients, family, and medical staff.

Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe, doesn't gloss over King's raw emotions. For year's, and even while working hand-in-hand with the very doctors she blamed for Josie's death, King was depressed, angry, and obsessed with learning the details of her daughter's death. She struggled to understand how a loving God would let this happen. All of her relationships suffered, including her marriage to Tony whose grieving process was so different from hers.

Josie's Story is a memoir with a purpose, to tell others where to go for comfort and information when experiencing horrific events similar to those the Kings had to suffer. Long lists of organizations dedicated to hospital safety are given, comprehensive advice based upon Sorrel King's experiences is offered. It is a book worth reading and keeping for access to resources. Go to The Josie King Foundation at [...] for more information.

I spent only a few hours with the King family when they visited friends in Boulder. I recall feeling enormous empathy then. After reading this book, I also feel enormous respect for them as true American heroes. Each of them has had to sacrifice in order to accomplish their mission of helping others.

by Donna Van Straten Remmert
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women