SILVER CITY, N.M. (KRQE) – The family of the actress known for her role as Lieutenant Uhura in the original “Star Trek” series is suing a New Mexico hospital. The family’s attorney says in 2022, Nichelle Nichols went into the Gila Regional Medical Center located in Silver City with a treatable heart problem.

But hours after being discharged, she passed away at 89 years old. “Our evidence shows they were cutting corners and reducing staff at huge levels. And that meant that patients weren’t getting the care that they needed,” attorney Lisa Curtis told local affiliate KRQE.

The lawsuit explains that Nichols was staying at Millie’s Assisted Living, near her son Kyle in Silver City, when she began suffering episodes of shortness of breath. While in the hospital’s emergency department, Curtis said Nichols should have had a full cardiac workup done, but was instead sent to an observation unit and discharged the next day, in worse condition. The lawsuit said seven hours later, she died back at Millie’s.

Curtis said Kyle filed the lawsuit to prevent this from happening to someone else in his community. “He was really upset, is really upset about the way her life was taken from her unnecessarily. He wanted her to have the natural death that she deserved,” said Curtis.

Court documentation shows the Gila Regional Medical Center’s Attorney denied all complaints in the case. Another lawsuit was filed in the same case against HealthTech Management Services.

KRQE reached out to the medical center for comment, but has not heard back. A trial date is set for June 3.