From yesterday's edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:
By Daily Bulletin StaffJAY STREET — Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced that a grand jury investigation has begun regarding the infamous death of Esmin Green [pictured], who died on the floor of Kings County Hospital Center's psychiatric emergency room.
The case was referred to the District Attorney following an investigation by Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn from the Department of Investigation (DOI).
Green, 49, arrived at the hospital by ambulance at 6:30 AM on June 18, 2008. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis, and ordered to be admitted involuntarily that morning, according to the DOI report. She was still awaiting care 24 hours later when she collapsed from a blood clot and died on the floor of the psychiatric emergency room.
DOI's findings revealed that there was a breakdown in Green's care during four medical shifts on June 18 and June 19, 2008. Personnel failed to administer blood work and an EKG, failed to monitor vital signs, and doctors failed to conduct a medical examination, according to the report.
The grand jury is expected hear evidence throughout the summer.
Green’s family had announced last month that they still wanted criminal prosecution against hospital employees after their wrongful-death action against the city was settled for $2 million.
They got their wish, with the results of a recently-released comprehensive report by the Department of Investigation (DOI) portraying in detail how hospital staff in the psychiatric ward ignored Green before she died in June 2008. It also says that some staffers falsified records to conceal their incompetence.
Green’s death was captured on a hospital security camera. Green slumped over onto the floor of the waiting room after having not received any care for 24 hours. She died from a blood clot.
The top lawyer for the city, corporation counsel Michael Cardozo, contacted the DOI and they undertook an investigation of Green’s death.
The DOI’s report names doctors and nurses who failed to assist Green. They found that Green received no attention from a physician and little attention from nursing staff for more than 10 hours, until they realized that she was dead.
To read the entire article, please click here.
Also see:
Brooklyn jury to probe Kings County psych ward death of Esmin Green
