On October 16, 2023, a Washington medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit was filed in the King County Superior Court, alleging that defendant Providence Regional Medical Center was negligent by allowing a 41-year-old mother of three to wait in the emergency room lobby for more than four hours on November 2, 2022 without proper diagnosis and treatment that could have saved her life.

The Washington medical malpractice lawsuit alleges that the woman was transported by ambulance to the emergency room with complaints of severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. She was assessed as being in critical condition and needing immediate medical attention. The Washington medical malpractice lawsuit alleges that a physician documented the woman as being “critically ill with significant risk to decompensate and even death, requiring prompt bedside evaluation and intervention.” A comprehensive metabolic panel was ordered, but the test was not done for five hours (until after the woman had already died), which showed low potassium that could have been corrected if the condition had been known earlier. An autopsy reportedly stated that the woman “had acute and chronic (pancreatitis) with pseudocyst resulting in probable” irregular heartbeat.

A spokesperson for the hospital stated in an email: “we are deeply saddened by this incident and our deepest sympathies are with the patient’s family and loved ones … Due to HIPAA regulations, we are unable to share any detail. Providence Swedish is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all patients and caregivers and providing high-quality care that respects the dignity of every patient.”

The Washington lawsuit was filed months after nurses at the hospital warned about dangerously low staffing and long wait times at the hospital.

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Members of the Snohomish County Council reportedly wrote a letter to the hospital, stating, in part:

“We, the undersigned, are collectively writing to express our disappointment and share our concerns with Providence leadership’s handling of the staffing crisis amongst nurses. This staffing crisis is a public health issue and it’s directly impacting the community we serve. We respect that the decisions made by leadership are difficult ones and that there are not always simple solutions. With that in mind, we hope to outline some of the specific issues which have been brought forward to elected officials as well as some potential actions which might work toward a resolution.

Some of the most prominent issues brought to our attention include the following:

  • Nurses are severely understaffed and understaffing or short staffing continues to worsen. This includes examples of less than half-staffing in units like Labor & Delivery despite staffing ratio standards. This is causing significant burnout
    amongst overworked nurses and a decreased quality of care for patients.
  • Nurses are being floated to work in other units in which they have no prior experience.
  • There is increased fear of harm to patients as well as losing licensing if mistakes are made in areas without proper training or experience.
  • Morale is very low amongst nurses and support staff and administration does not appear to be taking steps to boost morale. When patients become rightfully frustrated with a reduced quality of care, that frustration is taken out on nurses.
  • Exit interview data has not been collected by leadership following nurse resignations, of which there have been a significant number. New efforts to reinstate this practice are welcome and should be the standard practice.
  • Wages and benefits do not reflect the critical work being done by nurses. At the same time, the CEO’s salary has been raised. Nurse wages should meet or exceed industry standards.
  • Turn over rates are higher than the industry standard. Focus needs to be on new efforts for retention.
  • Inductions or procedures for high-risk patients have been delayed or canceled. During labor, this could potentially result in serious harm to either the mother or the infant, including death.
  • Patients in labor have been told to travel elsewhere in the region for Labor & Delivery care.
  • Leadership made the decision to close the Pediatric Unit entirely.
  • The Labor & Delivery unit has had to transfer admitted patients and divert triage patients unexpectedly due to lack of staffing, forcing patients to travel to other cities for acute care.
  • The perception exists that in the decision-making process, leadership has prioritized profits above the well-being of patients, staff, and the community at large.
  • Nurses have been leaders in initiating improvements to the staffing crisis, but the hospital leadership has taken no new action to address it nor has taken any new action to improve patient safety and access to healthcare for members of the community.
  • Nurses do not feel that they are being heard by leadership. In addition, there is a feeling that realistic solutions have not been proposed or discussed.”

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If you or a loved one may have been injured as a result of emergency room malpractice in Washington or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Washington medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your emergency room medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in an emergency room medical malpractice case, if appropriate.

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