A family is suing a Connecticut hospital after their son died in the ICU while a “telehealth” doctor was overseeing his care.
Conor Hylton, 26, died in August 2024 at Bridgeport Hospital’s campus in Milford, Connecticut. Now, his family has alleged his death was the result of the hospital’s “negligence,” according to a copy of their lawsuit reviewed by The Independent.
Hylton, a dental student, arrived at the Bridgeport Hospital’s emergency room around 11 a.m. on August 14, 2024, and was diagnosed with “pancreatitis, dehydration, metabolic acidosis and alcohol withdrawal,” the complaint states.
His condition deteriorated, and he was admitted to the ICU. Around 4:30 a.m., a code was called after Hylton “exhibited seizure like activity, vomited [and] became bradycardic.”
He was intubated but could not be resuscitated, and a “‘telehealth’ provider” pronounced him dead, the lawsuit claims.
Faxon Law Group, which is representing Hylton’s family, described the incident in a press release.
“Since there was no physician assessing Hylton in the ICU, despite protocols requiring direct care, an off-site remote internet ‘tele-doc’ that the hospital provided finally made an order for intubation,” the law group’s statement said.
“However, the attending ED doctor — who was supposed to provide emergency treatment in the ICU of Milford Hospital — was unable to locate the building's ICU and had to ask for directions. By then, of course, it was too late to save Conor,” the statement continued.
The incident “exposed a disturbing pattern of negligence and substandard care in Milford Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU)—which, unbeknownst to Conor and his family, had no doctor physically present but was sporadically monitored remotely on a TV screen from New Haven,” Faxon Law Group added.
The use of remote ICU staff has become increasingly common as hospitals seek to cut costs and address staffing concerns, NBC News reports.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health also investigated the incident, and “exposed a culture of inattentiveness and substandard care at Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus that resulted in the death of Conor James Hylton,” according to the lawsuit.
A spokesperson for Bridgeport Hospital, which is operated by Yale New Haven Health, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
“Yale New Haven Health is aware of this lawsuit and is committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care possible, however, we are unable to comment on pending litigation,” the spokesperson told The Independent.
Hylton was a “talented dental student,” Faxon Law Group said.
“Both of his parents are dentists ... and it's horrible for the family to have to go through this,” Faxon told The Independent.
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