Home / Health / Maine Healthcare System Mistakenly Declares Hundreds of Patients Dead
Maine Healthcare System Mistakenly Declares Hundreds of Patients Dead
11 Nov
Summary
- Maine healthcare system apologizes for sending death notices to over 500 patients
- Patients were never listed as deceased in medical records, error was in automated system
- Patients shocked and upset to receive letters about resolving their estates
In October 2025, the MaineHealth healthcare system issued an apology to hundreds of patients after they received letters incorrectly stating they had died. The letters, which were sent to over 500 patients, included information about how their next of kin could resolve their estates.
MaineHealth acknowledged the error, stating that the patients were never actually listed as deceased in the medical system's records. The issue was confined to an automated process used for generating estate vendor letters at the organization's Portland headquarters, which oversees Maine Medical Center and eight other hospitals in Maine and New Hampshire.
Patients who received the letters expressed shock and distress. One woman told a local news station that it was "really shocking and upsetting" to open the letter, as she had not been hospitalized for anything serious. MaineHealth has since resolved the issue and sent apology letters to all affected patients.
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The healthcare system is reviewing the automation tool that produced the erroneous death notices and has updated its digital record systems to prevent similar incidents in the future. Patients who received the letters have been advised to contact MaineHealth's patient relations department.
