Pregnant woman discharged from hospital minutes before giving birth
A hospital discharged a pregnant woman who was in advanced labor minutes before giving birth, but her family was left questioning the medical decision.
An Illinois congresswoman is proposing new legislation to address systemic issues such as maternal health care, racial disparities and hospital liability after one of her constituents was discharged from the hospital while on active duty.
Mercedes Wells was rushed to another hospital by her husband, Leon Wells, and released from Franciscan Health Crown Point minutes before giving birth to her fourth child in the front seat of a Chevrolet Silverado on Nov. 16.
Wells’ congressman, Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., said at a press conference on Nov. 25 that he plans to introduce a bill in Wells’ honor after Thanksgiving to prevent a similar situation from happening again and “protect all mothers.”
The Women’s Expansion for Learning and Occupational Safety Act requires hospitals and birthing centers to develop safe discharge labor plans that include clinical justification of the reason for discharge and patient understanding, identification of backup hospitals and birthing facilities, assessment of travel distance, and verification of reliable transportation.
The bill would also require racial bias training for health care workers. Kelly, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ health brain trust, said it’s clear that Wells’ story is not an isolated incident and that the problem is not unique to the Franciscan Health Department, but rather systemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hundreds of women die each year during childbirth or within weeks after giving birth. As USA TODAY reported, Black women are far more likely to die, with maternal mortality rates three times higher than white women and other women.
“Too often we hear from Black women whose pain has been ignored, dismissed, and discharged from the hospital,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t matter if she’s famous, wealthy, educated, or where she lives. If she’s black, she’s more likely to have worse health outcomes.”
What happened to Mercedes Wells?
Wells went into labor on the night of Nov. 15, and she and her husband went to the nearest Franciscan hospital.
After they arrived, Wells said her water broke and her contractions continued to increase. Wells said the nurse ignored both of these signs and did not see the on-call doctor until she was discharged from the hospital.
The hospital’s rejection “was hurtful and humiliating. I felt unheard. I felt ignored. I felt treated as less than human,” Wells said.
Leon Wells previously told USA TODAY he couldn’t understand how his wife ended up leaving the hospital. The family then began heading to another hospital, Community Hospital, in Munster, Indiana.
But six minutes into the drive, Leon Wells said his wife told him, “We have to try.” He called 911 but couldn’t wait for an ambulance. She asked him to pull down his pants while she was driving. He looked down and saw the baby’s head.
He helped her remove the baby without gloves. Alena was born at 6:28am. Blankets were prepared in preparation for the birth, and the video showed Alena wrapped and pale.
Eventually, they arrived at a local hospital, where they spent two nights before returning home. Raymond Grady, president and CEO of Franciscan Health, said doctors and nurses have lost their jobs. The hospital issued a public apology. And Grady promised policy changes and cultural competency training for all workers and delivery staff.
“No one can change a woman who is in pain and suffering and needs care,” Mercedes Wells said.
