WINNIPEG, Canada — Two families are searching for answers after their loved ones died shortly after prolonged waits in the emergency room at St. Boniface Hospital last month. These tragic cases have prompted both a hospital review and a provincial critical incident investigation.
Judy Burns, 68, passed away on January 21, just days after being admitted with severe rectal bleeding. Her family claims that medical staff overlooked their concerns, which they voiced repeatedly over many hours. “We are seeking justice for our mom,” said her daughter Chelsea Mann. The family believes that age-related biases contributed to inadequate care that could jeopardize other patients.
Burns was admitted to the hospital on January 18 after her daughter Samantha discovered her in a delirious state following a fall. Despite showing signs of hypotension and mental confusion, healthcare providers attributed her condition to dehydration. It was only later that she was diagnosed with diverticulosis, a fact the family found alarming given her previously active lifestyle.
Over the course of her emergency room stay, Burns received only basic treatment, including blood tests, IV fluids, and a CT scan. Medical professionals declined to conduct a more thorough endoscopic examination, instead stating that a follow-up colonoscopy would suffice. “They said further investigation would only take place if bleeding recurred,” Mann recounted.
As Burns’s condition worsened throughout the day, the family pleaded for more intervention. At one point, considerate nurses urged the family to lodge a formal complaint and even suggested reaching out to the media to share their story. Unfortunately, by the time medical attention escalated, Burns had deteriorated significantly, going into cardiac arrest shortly after. Despite a risky emergency surgery, she was left in a vegetative state and died three days later.
Two days before Burns’s admission, Stacey Ross, 55, died after waiting 11 hours in the same emergency department. Initially presenting with chest pain and a persistent cough, Ross was sent home after a lengthy wait. She returned to the hospital on January 15, only to be placed in critical condition shortly thereafter due to fluid-filled lungs and sepsis.
Her sister, Sheri Ross, shared the heartbreaking moment of finding her sibling on life support. “It’s crazy because we talked less than an hour before,” Sheri said, emphasizing the rapid decline that ultimately led to Ross’s death. The province has since opened an investigation into Ross’s case.
In light of these incidents, the Manitoba Nurses Union indicated that nurses remain committed to advocating for patient needs, even under dire circumstances. The union is also considering grey-listing St. Boniface Hospital, a designation that warns of unsafe working conditions. Reports indicated that wait times in the emergency room reached 10 hours this week, even following a significant upgrade and expansion of the facility.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara expressed condolences to the Burns family and indicated that the province is carefully reviewing both cases to determine the potential for critical incident designations. “This is an incredibly difficult time, and thoughts are with everyone affected,” Asagwara stated, affirming the ongoing efforts to enhance the healthcare system in Manitoba.
As families continue to grieve, they hope that their stories bring awareness to a healthcare system that many perceive as strained and inadequate, especially for elderly patients. The investigations into these cases aim to shed light on possible systemic issues and improve the quality of care that residents expect and deserve.