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Cost-Cutting Crisis: Patient Dies, Nurse Reinstated
12 Sep
Summary
- Nurse sent patient with chest pain to registration, leading to death.
- Wrongful death lawsuit filed against nurse and physician for alleged negligence.
- Hospital faced severe understaffing and cost-cutting issues.
Jennifer Knight, 37, died of a suspected heart attack in September 2023 after being sent to a registration line instead of receiving immediate care at Good Samaritan Medical Center.
The triage nurse, Holly Zachos, reportedly believed Knight was suffering from anxiety and failed to assess her vital signs or chest pain symptoms.
Knight collapsed approximately 20 minutes later and could not be revived, with her estate now pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against Zachos and Dr. Andrew Milsten.
The lawsuit alleges gross negligence and failure to follow standard procedures, exacerbated by severe understaffing and cost-cutting at the now-defunct Steward Health Care system.
Zachos was initially fired but controversially rehired after intervention from a senior state official, raising questions about political favoritism.
Federal regulators had previously placed the hospital in 'immediate jeopardy' due to profound safety lapses and recurring staffing problems.
Good Samaritan, one of eight Massachusetts hospitals operated by Steward, has since been purchased and renamed by Boston Medical Center Health System as part of Steward's bankruptcy proceedings.
