Providence response to California Attorney General lawsuit
Providence is deeply committed to the health and wellness of women and pregnant patients and provides emergency services to all who walk through our doors, in accordance with state and federal law. We are heartbroken over Dr. Nusslock’s experience earlier this year. This morning was the first Providence had heard of the California attorney general’s lawsuit, and we are currently reviewing the filings to understand what is being alleged. Because this case is in active litigation and due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on the matter. As part of our pledge to delivering safe, high-quality care, we review every event that may not have met our patient needs or expectations to understand what happened and take appropriate steps to meet those needs and expectations for every patient we encounter.
Update: 10/1/24
The message below was sent today to all Providence caregivers (employees) in the Northern California Service Area
As you have likely heard, yesterday we learned that the California attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging that we denied emergency care to a pregnant patient in Humboldt County earlier this year.
We are heartbroken over the experience this patient had while in our care and reached out to her today in an effort to express our profound apologies.
This was a tragic situation that did not meet our high standards for safe, quality, compassionate care. We are immediately re-visiting our training, education and escalation processes in emergency medical situations to ensure that this does not happen again and to ensure that our care teams have the training and support they need to deliver the best possible care for each patient we serve.
As devasted as we are, we can’t begin to imagine what the patient and her family have been through. We will learn from this and renew our commitment to ensuring that the care and experience we deliver are aligned with our high standards, every time and in every care setting.
Garry Olney
