Richard M. Rogers
Patrick L.  Block

Re:       Burke v. Samaritan Health Services, Inc. et al.

Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0605-04819

TRIAL DATE:  September 24, 2007

Dear Erich:

I am happy to tell you that the Sydnie Burke case has settled.  Will you please wrap up your final bill and sent it to us?  I don’t think we owe you anything but I always want to make sure.

This family really held the defendant’s feet to the fire – we obtained a higher settlement than we ordinarily would have simply because of a punitive damages claim – that claim was added because a short three months before Sydnie died, a little girl named Shakela Courtney died after being released from the same ER – we represented that family too.  During the course of discovery depositions in this case, Rich asked if any changes had been made in the ER since Shakela died – every single person said no and that they hadn’t done a peer review in the pediatric CME for five years for all ER doctors, ER nurses and anesthesiologists – this CME will be monitored by the judge in this case. Finally, the release the family will sign will not contain any language that says this is a doubtful and disputed claim.

Hopefully this little girl’s death will help bring changes to this hospital and the Samaritan system..  Thank you so much or helping us – please call me if you have any questions.

Sincerely yours,

Penny Lippold, Assistant to

Richard. M. Rogers