Family seeks answers after woman who waited 11 hours in ER dies

A Winnipeg family is calling for change after their loved one died following an 11-hour wait in the emergency room.

WINNIPEG — Sheri Ross and her family are now seeking answers after their loved one, Stacey Ross, died in a Winnipeg emergency room in January.

On Jan. 4, Stacey Ross was experiencing severe chest pain and went to the emergency room at Winnipeg’s St. Boniface Hospital. Sheri Ross said her sister waited more than 12 hours before being told her sickness was a virus and she was sent home.

But her condition worsened and she returned by ambulance to the same hospital on Jan. 15, waiting more than 11 more hours before being admitted.

A CT scan revealed pneumonia in Stacey Ross’ lungs. But shortly after, she went into cardiac arrest.

Sheri Ross said her family recently met with the CEO of St. Boniface Hospital, the director of the hospital’s emergency room, and the hospital’s critical incident review team.

“During that meeting, we learned that at 4:22 p.m., her troponin levels were elevated, and had she been given a bed at that time, she likely would have survived,” Sheri Ross said.

Unfortunately, Stacey Ross was not assessed by a physician until 10:46 p.m. – more than six hours later.

“She was so unstable that she needed to move from a treatment space into a resuscitation room immediately. She died several hours later,” Sheri Ross said. “We were told plainly, it was missed. Her heart attack was missed. She waited too long and the system failed her.”

Sheri Ross added that her sister was “treated as a cardiac patient in the ambulance with nitroglycerin,” and that while it was effective, there was no follow through at the hospital.

Sheri Ross said during the meeting with health officials at the hospital, they were told that the wait time of more than 11 hours killed her sister.

“My mother’s death should’ve never happened,” said Morgan Ross, who is Stacey’s daughter. “She should still be here with us today.”

Morgan Ross said there are a few different possibilities that caused her mother’s death, including either a heart attack, coronary heart disease, or sepsis.

Morgan Ross said due to failures in the health-care system, she is now left without her mom.

“I am 19 years old. I have no mother to guide me; I have no mother to watch me grow; I have no mother to watch me see my accomplishments,” she said.

“My mother was taken from me. She wanted to live. She did everything possible to live, and the Canada health care system killed her,” Morgan Ross added.

Calls for public inquiry into death

The Ross family now wants to see change within in Manitoba’s health-care system, to prevent other families from going through the same tragedy they are going through.

Alongside the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, they are calling for a public inquiry into Stacey Ross’ death.

“The next step is for (Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Premier Wab Kinew) to agree to that,” said Kathleen Cook, who is the health critic for the PC Party of Manitoba. “We need an external investigation to understand what’s happening in our (emergency rooms) and to restore some accountability into the system and to restore Manitobans confidence into emergency care.”

Over the last few months, there have been four deaths in Winnipeg emergency rooms.

Findings could be made public: Manitoba health minister

Asagwara confirmed Tuesday that they and Kinew have sat down and have spoken with the Ross family. They also said an out-of-province external expert will be brought in to assist with the ongoing investigation into this case.

“The family is at the heart of this process. We want to make sure that all of their questions are answered in full, but that they also gave the ability to support these decisions moving forward,” Asagwara said. “If the family does want the key findings and recommendations to be made public, and fully available, they will be.”

A spokesperson with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, which oversees St. Boniface Hospital, has confirmed that a critical incident review is underway.

“These reviews typically include interviews with care providers and experts and must be completed within 90 days to allow for in-depth review and comprehensive recommendations for system improvement,” a statement read.

Wait times an issue for Canadian ERs: doctor

Cardiologist Dr. Christopher Labos told CTV News speed is crucial when someone is having a heart attack.

“There’s an old saying in cardiology that ‘time is muscle,’ sort of on the play that ‘time is money,’” he said. “The sooner you intervene and stabilize a patient that is having a heart attack, the more of the cardiac function you preserve.”

But he says wait times continue to pose a massive problem inside emergency rooms.

“When there is a lack of resources, this is when people start falling through the cracks,” he said. “When wait times in the emergency rooms start getting so long, we’re not doing things as well as they should be done.”

With all the news surrounding issues with emergency wait times at hospitals across the country, Labos says it’s still important to go to the hospital if you are having an emergency.

“The problem most people make is they wait too long at home with a heart attack,” he said. “The worst thing that could happen is if you’re not having a heart attack, is that you’re going to get sent home.”