BELLEVILLE - The brother of a woman who died from respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and a brain injury claims his sister had to dial 911 while admitted at Memorial Hospital because no one was responding to her distress calls.
The complaint alleges the hospital staff "willfully and wantonly neglected the decedent to the extent that she was compelled to dial 911, in a desperate plea for help."
Wallis Beatty, as administrator of the estate of Tashia Beatty, filed the complaint in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Protestant Memorial Medical Center Inc., doing business as Memorial Hospital - Belleville, Washington University Physicians in Illinois Inc., Jiggar Hindia, D.O., and Charles Ampadu, M.D. Wallis Beatty is the brother of Tashia Beatty.
According to the suit, Tashia Beatty was a 46-year-old teacher and was admitted to Memorial Hospital on May 10, 2020, with a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, weakness, and hypoglycemia. The suit states that her condition seemingly improved by May 23, 2020, when she was prescribed hydrocodone by Dr. Benedicta Unoru and Lorazepam by Ampadu. The suit states that hydrocodone and lorazepam "are contraindicated and can cause respiratory distress, a coma, and death."
The complaint states that after several missed vital sign checks, Beatty was forced to call 911 while inside the hospital on May 24 at 1:12 a.m. because she was allegedly having trouble breathing and could not get help.
"Decedent tells the 911 operator that she needs help and cannot breathe," the suit states. " When asked where she is by the operator, she tells the operator she is at the hospital. When asked what room she is in, she responds that she is in room 102. She also gives the operator her name. Decedent also stated to the operator that, 'They won't come and get me and I need help.'"
When asked if she has tried the call button, Beatty replied that she had done everything and needed help, the suit states.
The 911 operator allegedly called the hospital and asked the medical staff to check on Beatty. The suit states that a safety check is allegedly documented at 2:04 a.m., but no vital signs are noted. Then at 2:47 a.m., a monitor tech noted systole and a code blue was called for Beatty. A cardiopulmonary resuscitation lasted 22 minutes, the suit states. Beatty was intubated following the code blue. She allegedly suffered severe anoxic encephalopathy with damage involving deep brain structures. Beatty died from her injuries on June 15, 2020, as a result of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and an anoxic brain injury.
The suit seeks damages of more than $75,000 from each of the defendants. Beatty is represented by Thomas Keefe III of Keefe Keefe & Unsell PC in Belleville.
Wallace Beatty v. Protestant Memorial Medical Center et al. St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 22LA490.