John Staples says the experience was a “grim and grim realization” that New Brunswick’s health care system is “so woefully broken.” “It was a surreal moment because, I mean, I think I realized they had just died in an ER waiting room,” she said. “You’re in a place where you’re supposed to get care, and you end up dying while you’re waiting for that care.” “You’re basically at the front door of health care. … You’re at the doorstep of getting the care you need, and you’re not getting it in a timely manner.” Staples, a home support worker at an Oromocto community residence, says he went to the emergency room with a client who needed urgent care around midnight Monday. He noticed the patient in question, who was several meters in front of them. “It was very obvious that they were in great distress, just the way they were behaving,” he said. “There was moaning and groaning and just grimacing. I mean, it’s just, you know, natural signs of discomfort when someone’s sick.”
He seemed to be falling asleep
After at least an hour of waiting, Staples moved his customer from sitting along the wall to sitting next to the patient, respecting the distance from COVID, so the customer could watch the TV on the wall. Staples and his client watched a couple of half-hour TV shows, and the patient appeared to fall asleep, he said. John Staples says he doesn’t know the man he saw die in the ER, but that “doesn’t change the importance and seriousness of the situation.” (Submitted by John Staples) A hospital employee came out to check on people in the ER, which was quite crowded, Staples said. “And when they checked that person, they very professionally rushed back [into the ER]so as not to cause alarm, I suppose.’ Staples looked at the patient and noticed that there was no rise and fall in the man’s chest to indicate he was breathing. “And I thought, ‘This person is gone.’” That’s when the hospital employee reappeared with three people and they took the patient to the ER, he said. “And as they were taking that person back, they called it a ‘code blue,’ which usually signals a cardiac or respiratory arrest. But they were too late. “So that person sat in the waiting room and died.”
No details were announced
Dr. John Dornan, president and CEO of Horizon Health Network, confirmed that “an unexpected patient death has occurred” in the emergency department waiting room at Dr. Everett Chalmers on Tuesday. No details about the patient or the circumstances of the death have been released. “Horizon thoroughly reviews any unexpected deaths that occur at our facilities to determine what happened and whether further action is required,” Dornan said in an emailed statement. “Regarding this incident, we have immediately started the audit process. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of this individual.”
“We all have someone who could have been”
Staples was so moved by the experience that he posted about it on social media Tuesday night. “I think bringing this to people’s attention, I mean it’s not new information, the wait times and the strain on the health care system. which breaks the camel’s back, I think this is definitely a good opportunity for change because we can’t have people dying in our waiting rooms.” The Facebook post seems to have struck a chord. By Wednesday afternoon, it had been shared more than 3,000 times and received nearly 200 comments. Staples isn’t surprised. “Well, I know it personally, I have elderly parents. My dad has health problems. It could have been my father there. Correctly; And we all have someone who could have been. “I mean, the fact that I didn’t know the name of the person who died doesn’t change the importance and seriousness of the situation. “They’re someone’s loved one. … They’re still someone who deserves the dignity and respect of being seen by a health care professional.” Staples couldn’t say whether the patient was properly triaged, but said he doesn’t blame the ER staff for working that busy shift. He has a lot of empathy for them, he said. They had to field a lot of questions and complaints from patients, he said, including a man who rang the bell after waiting four hours and left without treatment, as did a few others while Staples was there. “The attendant was very empathetic [the man who complained]but [said], “You know, we had people who were here for eight hours. We’re doing what we can,’ as I believe it was. “But it’s just, what do we do with those wait times? Like, where do we get the doctors in so we don’t have people dying in the waiting rooms?”
The Minister reacts
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said she was “deeply saddened and concerned” to learn of the patient’s death and offered her condolences to the man’s family and friends. It requested a review of the “incident” by Horizon “for a full understanding,” it said in an emailed statement. “We know the health care system is facing challenges and frontline staff are working hard,” said Shephard. “I have no doubt that every New Brunswicker and every health care worker is affected by this story. We all want to know that when we go for help it will be there and that it can be provided. “I look forward to receiving more information from Horizon officials in the coming days as the assessment progresses and the Department of Health offers our support to help in any way we can.”
Save system “before it’s too late”
The Official Opposition is calling for the resignation of the minister. Jean-Claude D’Amours, the health critic for the Liberals, issued a statement late Tuesday afternoon about the patient’s “very tragic death” and offering his condolences to the family and friends “involved in this sad situation.” . Citizens are begging for help and all we hear from this government are platitudes and excuses for missed deadlines.- Jean-Claude D’Amours, Liberal health critic “Unfortunately, given the incompetence of the Higgs government and the health minister in particular to address the dire health care crisis in this province, this dire outcome was a very real possibility,” D’Amour said. The Liberals have repeatedly asked to see Shepard’s plan to hire “desperately needed health professionals”, he said. “And ours is not a single voice: healthcare professional associations such as the Medical Society and the Nurses’ Union have called for action, citizens are begging for help and all we hear from this government is platitudes and excuses for missed deadlines.” . D’Amours called on the province to immediately release enough of its “huge surplus” to address hospital staffing issues. Treasury Secretary Ernie Steves originally projected a deficit of $244 million for this year, but massive federal pandemic spending and a roaring economy turned that into a projected surplus of $487.8 million. But last month, Premier Blaine Higgs said it was too early to tell whether the province would be able to post a budget surplus as projected. The province faces $100 million in higher costs due to inflation and NB Power could take a similar hit, he said. The prime minister “must stop whining at the federal government, demand his health minister resign and get on with saving the health care system before it’s too late,” D’Amour said.
title: “Horizon S Review Is Underway After The Patient Died In The Fredericton Er Waiting Room " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-03” author: “Fred Burden”
John Staples says the experience was a “grim and grim realization” that New Brunswick’s health care system is “so woefully broken.” “It was a surreal moment because, I mean, I think I realized they had just died in an ER waiting room,” she said. “You’re in a place where you’re supposed to get care, and you end up dying while you’re waiting for that care.” “You’re basically at the front door of health care. … You’re at the doorstep of getting the care you need, and you’re not getting it in a timely manner.” Staples, a home support worker at an Oromocto community residence, says he went to the emergency room with a client who needed urgent care around midnight Monday. He noticed the patient in question, who was several meters in front of them. “It was very obvious that they were in great distress, just the way they were behaving,” he said. “There was moaning and groaning and just grimacing. I mean, it’s just, you know, natural signs of discomfort when someone’s sick.”
He seemed to be falling asleep
After at least an hour of waiting, Staples moved his customer from sitting along the wall to sitting next to the patient, respecting the distance from COVID, so the customer could watch the TV on the wall. Staples and his client watched a couple of half-hour TV shows, and the patient appeared to fall asleep, he said. John Staples says he doesn’t know the man he saw die in the ER, but that “doesn’t change the importance and seriousness of the situation.” (Submitted by John Staples) A hospital employee came out to check on people in the ER, which was quite crowded, Staples said. “And when they checked that person, they very professionally rushed back [into the ER]so as not to cause alarm, I suppose.’ Staples looked at the patient and noticed that there was no rise and fall in the man’s chest to indicate he was breathing. “And I thought, ‘This person is gone.’” That’s when the hospital employee reappeared with three people and they took the patient to the ER, he said. “And as they were taking that person back, they called it a ‘code blue,’ which usually signals a cardiac or respiratory arrest. But they were too late. “So that person sat in the waiting room and died.”
No details were announced
Dr. John Dornan, president and CEO of Horizon Health Network, confirmed that “an unexpected patient death has occurred” in the emergency department waiting room at Dr. Everett Chalmers on Tuesday. No details about the patient or the circumstances of the death have been released. “Horizon thoroughly reviews any unexpected deaths that occur at our facilities to determine what happened and whether further action is required,” Dornan said in an emailed statement. “Regarding this incident, we have immediately started the audit process. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of this individual.”
“We all have someone who could have been”
Staples was so moved by the experience that he posted about it on social media Tuesday night. “I think bringing this to people’s attention, I mean it’s not new information, the wait times and the strain on the health care system. which breaks the camel’s back, I think this is definitely a good opportunity for change because we can’t have people dying in our waiting rooms.” The Facebook post seems to have struck a chord. By Wednesday afternoon, it had been shared more than 3,000 times and received nearly 200 comments. Staples isn’t surprised. “Well, I know it personally, I have elderly parents. My dad has health problems. It could have been my father there. Correctly; And we all have someone who could have been. “I mean, the fact that I didn’t know the name of the person who died doesn’t change the importance and seriousness of the situation. “They’re someone’s loved one. … They’re still someone who deserves the dignity and respect of being seen by a health care professional.” Staples couldn’t say whether the patient was properly triaged, but said he doesn’t blame the ER staff for working that busy shift. He has a lot of empathy for them, he said. They had to field a lot of questions and complaints from patients, he said, including a man who rang the bell after waiting four hours and left without treatment, as did a few others while Staples was there. “The attendant was very empathetic [the man who complained]but [said], “You know, we had people who were here for eight hours. We’re doing what we can,’ as I believe it was. “But it’s just, what do we do with those wait times? Like, where do we get the doctors in so we don’t have people dying in the waiting rooms?”
The Minister reacts
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said she was “deeply saddened and concerned” to learn of the patient’s death and offered her condolences to the man’s family and friends. It requested a review of the “incident” by Horizon “for a full understanding,” it said in an emailed statement. “We know the health care system is facing challenges and frontline staff are working hard,” said Shephard. “I have no doubt that every New Brunswicker and every health care worker is affected by this story. We all want to know that when we go for help it will be there and that it can be provided. “I look forward to receiving more information from Horizon officials in the coming days as the assessment progresses and the Department of Health offers our support to help in any way we can.”
Save system “before it’s too late”
The Official Opposition is calling for the resignation of the minister. Jean-Claude D’Amours, the health critic for the Liberals, issued a statement late Tuesday afternoon about the patient’s “very tragic death” and offering his condolences to the family and friends “involved in this sad situation.” . Citizens are begging for help and all we hear from this government are platitudes and excuses for missed deadlines.- Jean-Claude D’Amours, Liberal health critic “Unfortunately, given the incompetence of the Higgs government and the health minister in particular to address the dire health care crisis in this province, this dire outcome was a very real possibility,” D’Amour said. The Liberals have repeatedly asked to see Shepard’s plan to hire “desperately needed health professionals”, he said. “And ours is not a single voice: healthcare professional associations such as the Medical Society and the Nurses’ Union have called for action, citizens are begging for help and all we hear from this government is platitudes and excuses for missed deadlines.” . D’Amours called on the province to immediately release enough of its “huge surplus” to address hospital staffing issues. Treasury Secretary Ernie Steves originally projected a deficit of $244 million for this year, but massive federal pandemic spending and a roaring economy turned that into a projected surplus of $487.8 million. But last month, Premier Blaine Higgs said it was too early to tell whether the province would be able to post a budget surplus as projected. The province faces $100 million in higher costs due to inflation and NB Power could take a similar hit, he said. The prime minister “must stop whining at the federal government, demand his health minister resign and get on with saving the health care system before it’s too late,” D’Amour said.
