St. Mary's Statement on Anna Brown

3/29/2012   We are deeply saddened by the loss of Ms. Anna Brown. Although we are bound by federal patient privacy laws and can’t share the specifics of this situation, it’s important for our community to know key facts. We want to assure the public that we did provide care for Ms. Brown.  We followed established medical guidelines and performed appropriate tests. Unfortunately, even with appropriate testing using sophisticated technology, blood clots can still be undetected in a small number of cases. The staff at St. Mary’s has heard the outrage being expressed about this tragic event.  As a mission-driven organization, we strive every day to serve people who come to us with needs that we as a community have too long neglected. Like you, we search for answers. The sad reality is that emergency departments across the country are often a place of last resort for many people in our society who suffer from complex social problems that become medical issues when they are not addressed. It is unfortunate that it takes a tragic event like this to call attention to a crisis in our midst. St. Mary’s is absolutely committed to providing every person we serve with high quality, compassionate care.  It’s what has driven our heritage of healing and outreach to all for nearly a century.  Beyond the clinical care we provide in the hospital, we work diligently with many dedicated community organizations to piece together resources for patients with ongoing health and social needs.  But often we know that once they leave the hospital, they have no stable environment to which they can return.  Much more needs to be done. We at St. Mary’s are committed to intensify efforts to work with organizations like the Regional Health Commission, the local health departments, the Integrated and Behavioral Health Networks and others to come up with solutions to address issues that every day threaten the lives of the people of our community.