Nationwide — Franciscan Well being Crown Level, a hospital in northwest Indiana, has taken the drastic step of firing each the physician and nurse concerned within the care of 38-year-old Mercedes Wells, the pregnant mom who gave delivery on a freeway simply minutes after being discharged. The choice got here after a proper inner assessment concluded that the workers members did not correctly assess and take heed to the affected person earlier than sending her dwelling.
In keeping with Fox 32 Chicago, Raymond Grady, CEO of the hospital, introduced the firings publicly, stating that the doctor and nurse chargeable for Wells’ analysis “are not employed” on the hospital. Grady issued a direct apology to the household, acknowledging that the hospital “did not take heed to Mrs. Wells’ considerations” and emphasizing that no well being system can name itself compassionate when it ignores a affected person who’s clearly in ache.
In response to the fallout, Grady additionally outlined instant modifications the hospital is implementing to forestall comparable incidents from occurring once more. These steps embrace necessary cultural competency coaching for all labor and supply workers and a brand new requirement that each pregnant affected person should be examined by a doctor earlier than discharge, no matter how routine the go to could appear. Grady confused that reforms are mandatory, saying the hospital should guarantee “nobody experiences what occurred to Mercedes Wells.”
In keeping with the household, Mercedes had been within the hospital for six hours when her water broke moments earlier than discharge. She says a nurse dismissed her considerations, insisting she wasn’t dilated sufficient, and that the couple by no means noticed a health care provider throughout your complete go to. Simply eight minutes after leaving the hospital, Mercedes went into full labor on the freeway, forcing her husband, Leon, to ship their child woman, Alena, of their pickup truck with out medical help.
Whereas child Alena is now wholesome, the household says the trauma of the expertise—and the chance it posed—might have ended very otherwise. Mercedes says she appreciates the hospital firing the workers concerned however believes far more work is required. Leon added that he had “no coaching” and relied solely on intuition and prayer to ship the child safely. Their lawyer, Cannon Lambert, is looking for a proper apology, a face-to-face assembly with senior hospital officers, and significant cures for the household.
Though Grady stated the hospital has reached out and hopes to satisfy with the household quickly, the Wells household insists nobody has contacted them. They are saying they plan to proceed combating for accountability to make sure different moms don’t expertise the identical negligence they endured.
