Okposo Hospitalized - Update: Reportedly Doing "Much Better"

[Taro T]

This might be jumping the gun a little. There's a lot we don't know. But if Kyle had a serious but treatable condition and was expected to be OK (as, apparently, one of his Islander teammates found out), was there a better way to keep the fans informed in that general sense? The whole episode was pretty terrifying to me, but I have a good imagination and tend to think the worst.

 

I understand privacy issues, but would a professional athlete in Buffalo and his family really want virtually nothing disclosed to the public, not even a statement to the effect that, "He has a serious illness, but the prognosis is good."? This of course assumes that Kyle didn't make a miracle recovery after things initially looked bleak.

 

Prepared for the "the fans are owed nothing" responses.

Under HIPPA unless you've received explicit permission to disclose something publicly, pretty certain they can't say anything about the illness itself. One of legal eagles shoukd know more on what can & can't be said.

[dudacek]

Nothing preventing Kyle and his family from making their own statement.

Makes me assume privacy is what they want

[Eleven]

Under HIPPA unless you've received explicit permission to disclose something publicly, pretty certain they can't say anything about the illness itself. One of legal eagles shoukd know more on what can & can't be said.

 

HIPAA prevents them from saying anything, period.  Under the CBA, the players signed away a very limited portion of their HIPAA rights--namely, the teams can disclose injuries sustained in a game or practice or (I think) training.  I also THINK--but am not certain--that the team can disclose minor diseases (flu, food poisoning) that prevent participation in a game, but I'm not even sure about that one; reporters might find that stuff out from the players themselves.

 

Otherwise, nothing at all.  Zip, zero, zilch.  And it's not really even the team that is gagged; it's the medical provider.  Buffalo General can't say anything to anyone without Okposo's permission, and that includes the team (although his contract likely provides the permission to receive disclosures but not disseminate).  (In case you're wondering how electronic medical records and billing systems work in this system, those operators sign business affiliate agreements with the health care provider, and the business affiliates also are covered by HIPAA.)

Edited April 8, 2017 by Eleven

[Taro T]

HIPAA prevents them from saying anything, period.  Under the CBA, the players signed away a very limited portion of their HIPAA rights--namely, the teams can disclose injuries sustained in a game or practice or (I think) training.  Otherwise, nothing at all.  Zip, zero, zilch.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Stoner]

Nothing preventing Kyle and his family from making their own statement.

Makes me assume privacy is what they want

Good point. They have every right to privacy. Maybe they didn't know how ominous it all sounded from the outside and how concerned the fans were. Understandably, maybe none of that was in their thought process.

[SwampD]

HIPAA prevents them from saying anything, period.  Under the CBA, the players signed away a very limited portion of their HIPAA rights--namely, the teams can disclose injuries sustained in a game or practice or (I think) training.  I also THINK--but am not certain--that the team can disclose minor diseases (flu, food poisoning) that prevent participation in a game, but I'm not even sure about that one; reporters might find that stuff out from the players themselves.

 

Otherwise, nothing at all.  Zip, zero, zilch.  And it's not really even the team that is gagged; it's the medical provider.  Buffalo General can't say anything to anyone without Okposo's permission, and that includes the team (although his contract likely provides the permission to receive disclosures but not disseminate).  (In case you're wondering how electronic medical records and billing systems work in this system, those operators sign business affiliate agreements with the health care provider, and the business affiliates also are covered by HIPAA.)

So, the team probably didn't even know what was wrong, correct?

[Eleven]

So, the team probably didn't even know what was wrong, correct?

 

Maybe, maybe not?  I don't know what his contract requires in terms of disclosures from medical providers to the team.  I do strongly suspect that the contract doesn't allow for the team to disclose in this situation.

[Brawndo]

Maybe, maybe not? I don't know what his contract requires in terms of disclosures from medical providers to the team. I do strongly suspect that the contract doesn't allow for the team to disclose in this situation.

They are involved with his care and they are following HIPAA in terms of information released.

[Brawndo]

John Wawrow

 

Not sure what to say about Okposo report. Could not confirm other than what AP reported that he was improving and no timetable for release.

[kas23]

John Wawrow

 

Not sure what to say about Okposo report. Could not confirm other than what AP reported that he was improving and no timetable for release.

So he hasn't been discharged?

[PromoTheRobot]

This might be jumping the gun a little. There's a lot we don't know. But if Kyle had a serious but treatable condition and was expected to be OK (as, apparently, one of his Islander teammates found out), was there a better way to keep the fans informed in that general sense? The whole episode was pretty terrifying to me, but I have a good imagination and tend to think the worst.

 

I understand privacy issues, but would a professional athlete in Buffalo and his family really want virtually nothing disclosed to the public, not even a statement to the effect that, "He has a serious illness, but the prognosis is good."? This of course assumes that Kyle didn't make a miracle recovery after things initially looked bleak.

 

Prepared for the "the fans are owed nothing" responses.

You say you understand the desire for privacy and then show you don't.

[Brawndo]

So he hasn't been discharged?

Not sure, I would go with not yet

[Stoner]

You say you understand the desire for privacy and then show you don't.

Giving a very general statement to me doesn't violate anyone's privacy. We didn't need to know what he has.

 

The more I think about it, maybe the news is getting out because the family is releasing it and that's their way of informing the fans. It's not prying eyes, it's just the fact that people care.

John Wawrow

 

Not sure what to say about Okposo report. Could not confirm other than what AP reported that he was improving and no timetable for release.

For those who are confused, the above is Wawrow's tweet. It appears to be in response to Harrington:

 

Mike Harrington‏Verified account @ByMHarrington 8h8 hours ago

Bylsma said team has no confirmation on Okposo's reported release from the hospital.

[That Aud Smell]

John Wawrow

 

Not sure what to say about Okposo report. Could not confirm other than what AP reported that he was improving and no timetable for release.

 

Fingers crossed.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

[Randall Flagg]

It was mentioned on hfboards - I hope most to see his name on the "protected list" that gets released before the expansion draft.

[pi2000]

It was mentioned on hfboards - I hope most to see his name on the "protected list" that gets released before the expansion draft.

He has a NMC so he's auto-protected IIRC.

[That Aud Smell]

 

Da fook?

[Sabel79]

-Bump-

 

His was brought up in another thread a bit ago, but the deafening silence surrounding KO is quite frightening.

 

Murray blew a gasket when half a question was asked at his presser, nobody seems to know or want to say anything.

 

Screw hockey, I just hope the guy's going to get better.

[PromoTheRobot]

-Bump-

 

His was brought up in another thread a bit ago, but the deafening silence surrounding KO is quite frightening.

 

Murray blew a gasket when half a question was asked at his presser, nobody seems to know or want to say anything.

 

Screw hockey, I just hope the guy's going to get better.

 

I have it on good authority that Russ Brandon poisoned Kyle Okposo because he was jealous of how popular he was with fans.

[LGR4GM]

I have it on good authority that Russ Brandon poisoned Kyle Okposo because he was jealous of how popular he was with fans.

 

[matter2003]

My wife found she has several dietary triggers for the fibro. It's always fun to go to a restaurant and say, no meat (fish is okay), no gluten, no tomatoes, no eggplant. Other than that, what have you got?

The majority of long term "diseases" are rooted in diet/gut bacteria. From a common sense standpoint, if you unknowingly constantly eat things that cause your body to go haywire, it never can recover and just keeps getting slowly worse over time...

[pi2000]

@SabresProspects: Source tells me Kyle Okposo issue was a reaction to medication he was taking when dealing with concussion and is doing much better. #Sabres

[GASabresIUFAN]

@SabresProspects: Source tells me Kyle Okposo issue was a reaction to medication he was taking when dealing with concussion and is doing much better. #Sabres

Best news in days.

[Brawndo]

@SabresProspects: Source tells me Kyle Okposo issue was a reaction to medication he was taking when dealing with concussion and is doing much better. #Sabres

Good stuff, Baker also states he is expected to return next season as well