St. Louis Hospital System Owes Empathy, Transparency To Widow, Daughters
Over the weekend a story a ran in local and now national media about David Bell, a 39-year old Black man who died following three trips to the same St. Louis ER for chest pain. His family claims David was not admitted, only given Ibuprofen, and sent home after the first two visits. On January 12th, David again experienced chest pain and shortness of breath, went back to the same ER, was refused admittance, and died with his wife as she tried to take him to a different hospital.
This story personally struck a chord with me. As many of you know, I lost my oldest brother, Jim, after a Cincinnati hospital failed to treat chest pain. The tragedy was compounded by a lack of empathy and transparency and our family was forced to file a lawsuit. I watched Mr. Bell's widow -- Sadie Bell -- sobbing on TV this weekend and stating she doesn't want this tragedy to happen to another family. That sounded like my parents, and so many other families I have met in this work. The hospital system gave the typical canned statement about HIPAA prevents them from talking about the case but they the family is in their thoughts. Maddening.
Below is the press release Sorry Works! issued to St. Louis media today concerning this story. Please share this e-newsletter and press release with colleagues and friends.
Hopefully the Bell family will not have to be forced into litigation to get answers and resolution.
Sincerely,
- Doug
Doug Wojcieszak, President and Founder
Sorry Works!
618-559-8168
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February 1, 2021
PRESS RELEASE: BJC Owes Empathy, Transparent Review, and Resolution to David Bell’s Family
Contact: Doug Wojcieszak, 618-559-8168; doug@sorryworks.net
Glen Carbon, IL…Sorry Works (www.sorryworks.net), a national patient safety organization based in Glen Carbon, IL, strongly encourages BJC Healthcare to be empathetic and transparent with the family of David Bell, a 39-year-old Black man who had been experiencing chest pains but was allegedly sent home with Ibuprofen after two separate ER visits at BJC’s St. Peters, MO hospital. Bell died on January 12 following more chest pain and a third visit to BJC’s St. Peters, MO hospital; he left behind a wife and three daughters.
“My heart aches for the Bell family, and I understand Mrs. Bell’s desire for this situation to never happen to another family. I lost my 39-year-old brother, Jim, after a Cincinnati hospital failed to treat chest pains,” said Doug Wojcieszak, Founder and President of Sorry Works! “My family experienced a cover-up following Jim’s death, the hospital and doctors would not talk, and we had to file a lawsuit. I hope the BJC is empathetic and transparent and works with the Bell family to resolve this situation in a fair and ethical manner.”
Sorry Works! strongly encourages BJC to 1) be empathetic and meet any immediate needs of the Bell family; 2) conduct a thorough and credible review of David Bell’s care, and Bell family members should be interviewed during that review process; 3) If the review shows medical errors led to Mr. Bell’s premature death, then BJC should apologize, admit fault, explain what happened and how it will be prevented in the future, and meet the needs of the family, including financial and emotional support. If errors were not present in the care, that information needs to be shared with the family in an empathetic and credible fashion.
“Just because Mr. Bell has passed doesn’t mean BJC should stop caring for the Bell family. The family needs medical professionals who have the integrity and ethics to own this situation and resolve it fairly for the benefit of all parties,” said Wojcieszak. “The President of BJC should issue a public statement supporting the Bell family, promising an ethical review of the case that includes interviewing the Bell family, and fairly resolve the situation.”
Sorry Works!, a 501c3 non-profit patient safety organization, is the nation’s leading advocacy and training organization for disclosure and apology following medical errors.
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