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Nurses Sue Hospital Over Alleged Drug Abuse, Patient Deaths
1 Jul
Summary
- Nurses allege a colleague's drug addiction was ignored by management.
- Lawsuit claims negligence by a nurse contributed to two patient deaths.
- Hospital accused of fraudulent billing to conceal stolen controlled substances.
A lawsuit filed in April 2025 by former nurses Jennifer Duckett and Samantha Gallo against Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital alleges that the facility ignored a nurse's eight-year struggle with substance abuse. The filing, unsealed recently, claims this negligence may have led to the deaths of two patients.
The former nurses assert that reports about the nurse's alleged drug addiction and behavior, including stealing controlled substances like morphine, were disregarded by hospital management. They claim this conduct was normalized by nursing managers.
The lawsuit details the deaths of a 70-year-old woman, who died from an unspecified medication error after a prolonged wait for treatment, and a 47-year-old man, who was found dead from a head injury after reportedly not receiving care for alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Additionally, Heritage Valley Health System and its executives are accused of fraudulent billing. The suit claims the hospital manipulated financial records to mask the alleged theft of drugs by the nurse, who was employed until early 2026. The plaintiffs are seeking damages.
