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

by Sorrel King

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical, Memoir, Health, Medicine, Health Care, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2009

Reviews

[Kelly Overhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

This was an amazing and inspiring book. I was required to read this for my nursing class and I am so glad that I was given the task. This book made me sob, I put off reading it because I knew that it would be difficult and gut wrenching. I was right, but in spite of the tears I was filled with joy and intrigue. This tale of a grieving mother that turned her grief into something truly amazing was awe-inspiring. It is truly one of the best written books I have ever read and I am so sincerely honored to have read this story. I hope that more people not only those of us in Nursing school are able to read this book. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a truly compelling story. I fell in love with this book and the people in it. To Sorrel King- You are an inspiration and I thank you.

[Reba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an educational book concerning medical errors in hospitals and programs that are improving the quality of care in the current hospital system.

"Trust instincts – especially a mother’s.
Listen” to the patient (even if they’re not talking); i.e., treat the patient, not the numbers.
Not all the answers are on clipboards and computers.”

There are ample resources to learn more listed in the back of the book. On of my favorite characters was, "-The strong, weathered cowboy surgeon who had the guts to change the rules and fight for what he believed in. He taught me (Sorrel) to be like a true cowboy and not back down." Sorrel King from Josie's Story.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wrecked me! Probably because I have a baby girl and I can imagine, to an extent, what this mom went through! Also this book did not help my phobias of hospitals! Medical errors are a huge problem and Sorrel King took her pain and grief and did something about it. Every nurse and doctor should be required to read this book!

[Gabby Genth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story. I will always remember Josie. Glad my professor recommended this book.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tragic story of a mother who lost her 18 month old, Josie, to medical errors at one of the top hospitals in the country. In my opinion it should be required reading for all nursing and medical students. What this book reveals is that medical errors don’t always result from one nurse giving the wrong medication or one doctor ordering the wrong treatment. Errors can and most often do result from a breakdown in the system. In this case Josie’s team of doctors and nurses did not take the time to fully communicate with each other or Josie’s mother to make sure everyone was on the same page when it came to the treatment plan. What resulted was a series of mistakes that created a domino effect that led to Josie’s death. The scary thing is that all of these mistakes appeared to be the right thing to do at the time. However, if any one of the doctors and nurses involved had taken just a few extra minutes to listen to Josie’s mother, call another doctor, or just stop and say, “Something’s not right here, I need to look into this further,” then Josie would be alive today. The most amazing part of this story is what Josie’s mother, Sorrel, did as a result of her personal tragedy. She was extremely angry, and rightfully so, but she did not let the anger consume and drown her. She let it propel her forward. She took the settlement money received from the hospital and gave almost all of it directly back to the hospital to develop and instate patient safety programs. She became a patient safety advocate and began speaking to nursing schools, medical schools, and hospitals all over the country about preventing medical errors. If you ask any nurse if they have heard Josie’s story, ninety percent of the time the answer will be yes. I am extremely impressed with what Sorrel King has managed to accomplish in just a few short years after such a terrible loss, and I know for a fact she has saved countless lives. I know I will be a better nurse for having heard Josie’s story, because patient safety will always be at the forefront of my mind.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorrel King’s story of her toddler’s death from a medical error engaged me from the first page. Her writing is smooth, the unfolding events flow gracefully across the pages, and the reader is quickly caught up in the tension of Josie’s hospital stay.

King holds nothing back; while her writing is controlled, the anguish, grief, and rage simmer under the surface. As a bereaved grandmother, I was relieved that King did not portray the development of the foundation she started as an instant catharsis for her grief. She openly admits that she wanted to destroy the medical system that caused her daughter’s death. She wanted the hospital, doctors, and nurses, to hurt as badly as she did. King describes her various attempts at finding peace with her grief; it is a bereavement counselor who leads her to the realization that time alone does not heal; rather, it is what one does with the time. King reaches a point where she has to make a conscious decision to either remain angry and miserable, or to do something productive with the energy from her anger. She and her husband accepted the hospital settlement, and used the money to start a foundation addressing patient safety.

King has become an admirable advocate, and her foundation is amazing. You will be deeply moved and changed after reading this book. You may well be horrified at the number deaths resulting from errors; your challenge is to take your horror and do something as productive as Sorrel King has. I straddle this issue as a hospital-based healthcare professional, and also a consumer of health services. I would love to see this book in the hands of every nursing, medical, pharmacy, physician assistant, and social work student.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. A good read for a nurse and also for a grieving mother.

[aquabooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler free!
Recommended? Yes!!
🙍‍♀️
Reading about what happened to Josie and how her mom's life changed because of it was very inspiring. It was certainly heartbreaking to read at times, but I think this emotional connection is precisely what is needed to cause a change in the field of medicine. As I pursue a career as a doctor, this book is one that will stick in my mind and guide how I view and practice medicine. I recommend this book to everyone as it is not only a great read for those interested in the field, but also a motivating story of how one person can truly make a huge difference.
🙍‍♀️
Favorite quote: "'Get out there and do something with your anger. Do something with your pain.'"

[Luann Habecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

hits close to home..

she had the gut instinct to smack the needle out of the nurses hand and she didn't for fear of what they would think or other repercussions regarding her daughters care. THIS is the problem! that shouldn't be the choice before us..

this struggle between doctor and patient is real. i've seen it professionally and personally. and it's draining, exhausting dealing with the doctor's etc. not conducive for care giving.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had watched the author’s DVD during pediatric training and I’m so grateful that she has persevered to share the story of her daughter. I’d like to think that medicine has improved significantly over the past 20 years, and I do believe the culture about patient safety and preventing medical errors is improving, but we still have a ways to go.

[Toryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my nursing class.. I’m so glad I got to read it. It had change my perspective on healthcare and patient safety system. It was a very moving story.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a random pick from the library for me. To be honest, I was missing my best friend, Josie and I saw her name on this book. When I read the book flap and found out what it was about, I thought that this was right up my alley.

King takes us through her painful and tragic journey from her daughter's death to how she impacted medical care. King's focus is medical mistakes that lead to death of a patient - these mistakes can be prevented - King is bringing the shining light to this pitfall of our medical health system.

King expresses her shock that medical errors are a leading cause of death in the USA, and I think it is probably shocking to a lot of people - why? Because of the image that is drilled into our heads that we have the best medical care in the world here. Maybe we have the most advances in medicine (that we certainly pay for) and leading technology.. but that doesn't mean we don't have our faults - medical errors being the biggest, obvious fault - as many lead to death of a patient. Here's the problem - America has an ego problem and it encompasses nearly everything. We need to be more self-critical.

I thank Sorrel King for bringing this issue to the forefront and continuing to send the message.

[abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who wants to be a healthcare professional MUST read this. Don’t ignore patients / family’s concerns. Triple check everything. Be a safe nurse. Be an advocate. Be a hero to those who can’t defend themselves.

Thank you to Josie’s inspiring mother, Sorrel King, for brining change to healthcare and being a voice for all the Josie’s of the world. I’ll never forget Josie and will think about her forever. I can’t help thinking about how Josie would’ve been my age today. I can’t help but think about all that she missed out on because the healthcare team failed to communicate and take the time to listen to her family’s concerns. I can’t help but think about how she and I should be experiencing the same things in graduating college and starting our adult life. It’s a shame. It makes me sick to my stomach knowing she’ll never experience all I have lived. And it’s all because of a healthcare team who ignored a patient’s family’s concern. I will hold this story close to my heart everyday as a pediatric nurse. I will think about the Sorrel’s and the Josie’s of the world for the rest of my nursing career.

I know that I am a better nurse because of Josie.
Thank you, Sorrel, for being a voice for Josie and others like Josie. Medicine failed you and Josie, but thanks to you, the healthcare field has evolved. Medicine is forever indebted to you.

[Abby Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book as a part of my nursing school curriculum, and I think that the King’s family story should be shared with all medical students. In nursing school, we often have discussions about medical errors. Not so much the impact of medical errors on patients and their families, but rather “you could lose your license…” and what is legally required to be written in an incident report, and what can be left out. These discussions always feel so devoid of emotion, so callously concerned with one’s own protection that we neglect the actual issue. I appreciate that this book discusses the emotions, the burden that is carried by all involved in one’s healthcare, and what solutions have been found for these issues. Therapeutic resources should be encouraged and taught just as much as topics of licensure and legal protection. There should actually be systems in place for empathetic expression. Staffing should be able to accommodate more time spent with each patient. To me, this book highlights the systemic issues that run rampant in all healthcare systems. We cannot run healing like a business.

[Sara Arenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie’s story will stick with me throughout my career in healthcare.
I had to read this book for nursing school and after finishing it I can absolutely agree that this should be required reading for everyone in healthcare.
The story breaks your heart both for sorrel and in accepting the many faults of our healthcare system. As the book progresses, you see that no matter how daunting it is, change can happen and even one person can make a difference in a system as large as healthcare.
All of the patient care standards that we have today, that seem like common sense and that they have always been there, are because of Josie King. Healthcare has evolved from the top down because of Sorrel King and her determination to prevent medical errors and improve patient safety.
Josie King will always be in my heart and will make me a more vigilant nurse. I will strive to treat the patient to the best of my ability and to be transparent and open with the patient’s family. I will communicate and repeat myself even if it annoys my peers. I will take Josie King with me in my care and will be a better nurse for it.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in the nursing program, and I had to read this book for my upcoming class assignment and I actually really enjoyed it. This book was an emotional roller coaster as if I was feeling every emotion that Sorrel expressed on the pages. I won’t lie though, this story does make me nervous about working as a nurse and how easy it is for a break down to occur in the medical system, but I’m also happy that I can be an advocate for my own patients one day. I’m glad that my nursing program made this book a requirement for all of the students as it is very important to be aware of medical errors and how to prevent them as a nurse. My heart absolutely breaks for Sorrel and her family for going through this devastating loss, but I’m so glad that she could find the good from it and save other people’s lives in the process!

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conversational and personal. Was hotly debated by my cohort re: placement of blame/culpability, but this story is about a woman whose baby, after being injured, hospitalized, and nearly recovered, dies by medical error/mistake/accident. Mother's quest to raise awareness, change culture of hospitals, relationships between patients/providers post-error is important and has resulted in incredible transformations already. Med folks like to critique this harshly, but I'm happy to have patient voices and to see someone working in a restorative fashion to find answers/solutions. Lawd knows the hospitals weren't.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love what Sorrel has done for the medical world all over the nation. She is absolutely amazing. My heart breaks that she endured such a terrible tragedy, as I read the events unfold I spoke to myself, "How are they NOT communicating with the parents?!" I can't imagine not being apart of my kids medical decisions and being their advocate. Bless this family for all they have done to save the lives of others and help allow parents be involved in their care and letting their voices be heard.

This is a book for everyone to read. Medical or not.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you work in medicine, or have lost a loved one from medical error this is the book to read. Sorrel has the voice of a polished fiction writer, yet is sadly telling the story of her own life. Having lost her youngest daughter to medical harm in 2001, she has since been on a mission to make the delivery of healthcare safer for all us. Now, almost 2 decades later, medical harm is recognized as the third leading cause of death in the US. Thanks to this tireless leader and others like her, it's a problem that is no longer kept secret behind the medical wall of silence.

[Katie Bevington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josie’s story is a heart wrenching account of how medical errors occur creating massive negative outcomes. Sorrel King so accurately describes the devastation of losing a child. Through many tears, I found myself inspired to keep working to mitigate medical errors for my own patients. In Josie’s’ memory, great work is being done to ensure other patient’s are safe. Sorrel is a champion for her daughter.

[Maddison Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for OTA school, and I understand that a lot of students going into the medical field have to read this so we're scared into not making stupid mistakes when we're professionals. This was hard to read and really unforgettable, so mission accomplished on scaring me into being a cautious medical professional.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for one of my nursing classes and it was certainly a page-turner! Even if you are not in the healthcare field, I still recommend reading this book about the change for patient safety and how the story of Josie has inspired a mother to create a foundation to advocate for patient safety in the healthcare setting.

[TaniqueReads ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book back in January. I’m a pharmacy student, my teacher recommended I read this book.
It’s so sad! 🥹
It’s about medication errors, miscommunication and how a strong mother helped the healthcare industry. It is very touching, I think everybody should read this book especially healthcare workers.

[Courtny Amico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school, so when I found out I had to read it I wasn’t sure how I would like it. The author does an amazing job explaining things and definitely keeps your interest. This is a very sad story and unfortunately happened to such a young girl but this mother does an amazing job informing others so that this mistake doesn’t happen again.

[Faith Fries · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for class but I honestly enjoyed it. Anyone in the healthcare field should read this to understand how important it is for docs, nurses, therapy, case management should all talk to eachother to decide patient care. As a future nurse, I will always remember to include the family in the care as well!! They know the patient best

[Scott Leblanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming

Being in the healthcare industry I have seen the DVD several times. The book really brings together how the mother was feeling. It gives voice to the families that have been impacted by healthcare errors.

[Kathryn Rough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that is brutally honest.
I read this book as the hospital where I work is introducing HRO & CUSPs throughout our network. This is the perfect backdrop for the reason why patient safety is so so important. Listening to the family is the first step to safety!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A large portion of my husband's job is quality control in his Pediatric Oncology Department. He says Josie's case was instrumental is changing patient quality care and he stills remembering learning about it in medical school. It's a very good book.

[Sara Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never know how to rate these true stories. This mother is clearly devoted to making medical care safe! This book was heart wrenching at times, but I feel it’s one of those books everyone should read! After all, at some point we all are going to need medical care.

[Chasity Wolford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie Story

As a Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Student this book was eye opening. As a nurse I have witnessed medical errors occur and lack of processes in place to prevent. Wonderful read for any individual in the healthcare field.