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Lawsuit alleges patients died due to staffing issues at Sinai-Grace

DETROIT – A new lawsuit is claiming that Detroit’s Sinai-Grace Hospital was so short-staffed that patients died.

Multiple Sinai-Grace nurses have been detailing what they call problem after problem during the coronavirus crisis. They allege those problems cost COVID-19 patients their lives.

Update June 11, 2020: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 59,496; Death toll now at 5,738

In one instance, nurse Catherine Gaughan said a man in his 30′s who died could have survived if the hospital wasn’t so short-staffed that no one noticed his ventilator tube had become disconnected.

“I will always remember this man calling his daughter," Gaughan said.

RELATED: ‘It was the truth’ -- Nurse fired from Sinai-Grace Hospital sues Detroit Medical Center

Sinai-Grace nurses Jeffrey Eichenlaub, Catherine Gaughan, Sal Hadwan and Anthony Bonnett are now suing the Detroit Medical Center and parent company Tenant for $25 million.

Each nurse said they were fired for speaking up about the staffing, unsafe conditions and for speaking up for their patients.

“Our voices were not being heard," Hadwan said. "We were being ignored and the patient population suffered.”

The DMC said the nurses were fired for violating patient privacy when shocking photos were leaked of bodies stacked up in rooms inside Sinai-Grace.

READ: ‘The nightmares are bad’: Photos emerge showing body bags stacked inside empty rooms at Detroit’s Sinai-Grace Hospital

Anyone who believes they might have coronavirus should follow the CDC guidelines. Michigan.gov has a list of resources available to those concerned about COVID-19.

More information on coronavirus (COVID-19):


About the Authors
Shawn Ley headshot

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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