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The president and CEO of Franciscan Health Crown Point announced on Friday that the doctor and nurse involved in the care of a Chicago mother, who was released from a northwest Indiana hospital shortly before giving birth, are no longer employed at the facility.
Mercedes Wells recounted her experience, explaining that she sensed something was amiss when she arrived at the hospital to deliver her baby and was not placed in a labor and delivery room.
Wells, 38, described spending six hours at the hospital as her contractions increased to just a minute apart, only to be instructed by a nurse to return home. Shockingly, she gave birth just eight minutes later, while in her car.
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In response, Raymond Grady, President and CEO of Franciscan Health Crown Point, revealed that beyond the staff dismissals, the hospital will enforce cultural competency training for all labor and delivery personnel.
Additionally, Grady stated that a physician will now assess all pregnant patients before they are discharged from the labor and delivery unit.
“On behalf of Franciscan Alliance and Franciscan Health Crown Point, I apologize to Mrs. Wells and her family for failing to live up to our Franciscan values. We are committed to holding ourselves accountable through our actions so that every patient is heard and receives compassionate, equitable care. Any evidence of actions to the contrary will not be tolerated,” the statement said. “We’ve reached out to the family and it is my hope to meet in person with them very soon.”
Baby Alena Wells is doing well, her mother said.
But Wells said earlier this week she is still deeply disturbed that she had to give birth on the side of the road early Sunday morning after being forced to leave Franciscan Health in Crown Point, Indiana
Wells is an experienced mother who just gave birth to her fourth child. She says she was in a lot of pain and knew the baby was coming soon. But, she says, the nurse told her to leave.
“I was in excruciating pain. She seen me in pain and agony, and I guess she still perceived me to not be in labor,” Wells said. “Upon returning to the room she’s like ‘Well, if you aren’t further along in your centimeters then, you know, we gotta send you home.””
Wells’ mother shared video she took as her daughter was being wheeled out of the hospital, accompanied by security.
Wells, who lives in Chicago, says she was visiting Indiana two weeks before her due date when she felt like it was time. They chose the closest hospital. But when they made her leave, her husband, Leon, was driving them to the next closest hospital in Munster when the baby started to emerge.
“In God’s grace, I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I don’t have a medical license or anything to have a baby,” he said.
Fortunately, things worked out, and baby Alena arrived safely. But the couple and their attorney, Cannon Lambert, say this is not the way it was supposed to happen.
“We can agree a woman is active labor should not be sent away without seeing a doctor,” Lambert said.
During a news conference with their lawyer, the family said they were mistreated because of their race.
“I was stripped of my dignity. As a person, I was treated less than an animal,” Wells said.
Mercedes and Leon Wells say, at this point, they have not considered legal action.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.