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A Nevada man reportedly died alone in a hospital in July because staff assigned him a fake name which prevented his family members from locating him.
KLAS reported that Clifford Allen, 60, died at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas on July 27 after collapsing. Allen’s sister, Lavonne Brubeck, said it was not uncommon for Allen to leave home for several days, but she was unable to find him because he was admitted to the hospital under the name Nolan Doe instead of John Doe.
Allen reportedly had COPD and Burbeck became concerned when he did not answer his phone after several days. Burbeck told KLAS she called every hospital in Las Vegas with no luck.
“I would ask for him by name and being in nursing I would say, ‘Do you have any John Does there?’” she said.
Burbeck finally located Allen in late July, but he had already died. Burbeck claimed she reviewed her late brother’s phone records and called the last number that was placed — leading her to learn that he collapsed in a retail area sometime around July 21. Several people said he lay there for eight hours before a clerk noticed he was not moving and got help.
Burbeck said Allen’s wallet, identification, and oxygen tank were stolen while he was unresponsive in the retail area. KLAS reported that Allen’s body temperature was 106 degrees when he arrived at the hospital.
In addition to filing a missing person report, Burbeck said she called MountainView Hospital multiple times with no luck. She later learned that they admitted him under the name Nolan Doe — which hospital officials said is their policy with unidentified patients.
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KLAS reported that a coroner positively identified Allen through a picture a family member gave the office two weeks after left home. Police said they had no record of Allen before then as he did not have his identification.
“I didn’t even get to hold his hand or even see him before he went to the coroner,” Brubeck told the news outlet.
Burbeck believes Allen was in a coma for 10 days before he died. His cause and manner of death are pending.
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[Featured image: Clifford Allen/KLAS]
