Re: [tips] Good Case Study

[Beth Benoit]

I have a video of a 60 Minutes story from a few years ago about Nadean Cool,
who won a lawsuit against Dr. Kenneth Olson.  I might show the video first,
and then give my students the Newsweek story.  My bully pulpit, you
know...Olson's license was revoked when Nadean testified about her allegedly
bogus treatment.  The 60 Minutes story interviewed a half dozen women, as I
recall, who told the same story about the Appleton, Wisconsin hospital (St.
Elizabeth's) which had a whole psych. ward floor of his patients - all women
who all believed they had multiple personalities.  The 60 Minutes video is
quite damning, including tapes of Olson suggesting to Ms. Cool about an
interpretation of "what happened to her."  Here's a short news story about
the lawsuit:
APPLETON, Wisconsin (AP) -- A woman is suing her former psychiatrist
for malpractice, claiming he convinced her she had 120 personalities
-- then charged her insurance company for group therapy."
  "Nadean Cool testified Monday that the $300,000 treatment by Dr.
Kenneth Olson left her suicidal and haunted by false memories. Her
supposed personalities included a duck, Satan, and angels who talked
to God."
  "Before I knew it, I was hypnotized," Cool, a former nurse's aide,
testified Monday. "And when I came out of it, he said, I knew it, I
knew it. I knew you were a great candidate."
  "Olson's lawyer, David Patton, says the psychiatrist correctly
diagnosed multiple personality disorder; and that no malpractice
occurred because it was Cool who suggested she was possessed by
the devil."
  "Cool and her insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield United
of Wisconsin, are suing Olson, St. Elizabeth Hospital and Legion
Insurance Co. of Pennsylvania. Blue Cross, which paid about $113,000
to Olson and $114,000 to St. Elizabeth , said Olson  billed for group
sessions, claiming he was counselling more than one person because of
her alleged split personalities."
  "Cool claims the hospital allowed Olson to perform an exorcism on
her and didn't monitor drugs prescribed for her."

Beth Benoit
Granite State College
Plymouth State University
New Hampshire

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