The state’s top health official called Steward Healthcare CEO Ralph de la Torre because of a serious lapse by a veteran nurse at Steward’s Good Samaritan Medical Center. This was just days after he was fired from his job (later found to be a violation of basic care in a federal investigation).
On September 13, 2023, a triage nurse in a crowded emergency department at Brockton Hospital received a plea for help from a patient who was waiting in line to register. Jennifer Knight, 37, was experiencing severe chest pain and shortness of breath and thought she was having a heart attack.
However, after 10 hours of nonstop work, there were too few nurses to handle the surge in patients, and the nurse sent Knight back to the line without seeing a nurse. Investigators said they were evaluating her and checking her vital signs. Knight collapsed and died just 20 minutes later.
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