A patient died this year when no one was around to treat him in the emergency department of Loretto Hospital, where about 200 unionized workers are on strike over staffing conditions.
WBEZ obtained an inspection report about the death from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which funds hospitals and investigates patient safety issues. Loretto Hospital officials acknowledged “staffing challenges” in the report. The waiting area and the triage room within the waiting area, where the patient was found in a bathroom, were both covered by one nurse, the report said.
