Just Days After Hospital Receives “D” Grade For Infection Prevention, Lawsuit Over Allegedly Stolen Ring Continues. Baptist Health Denies.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Boca Raton Regional Hospital, just days after receiving a horrific “D” grade from a non-profit group that researches patient infection outcomes, continues to fight a lawsuit that claims its workers stole a $25,000 ring from a 92-year-old patient rushed to the facility for emergency surgery.
According to the lawsuit filed in February, and continuing with depositions now, Florence Weintraub was rushed to Boca Regional back in February of 2022 for a broken hip. With her family out of town, Weintraub was admitted and rushed into surgery. According to the lawsuit, she was wearing — as she always did — her 2-karat diamond, 14-karat gold engagement/wedding ring.
According to the complaint obtained by BocaNewsNow.com: “On February 20, 2022, Florence had surgery on her broken left hip. Prior to being taken into surgery, Florence complied with the request by one of Defendant’s employees to remove her Ring and Necklace. Florence was not advised by any of the Defendant’s employees as to what was being done by Defendant with her Ring and Necklace. Upon information and belief, following surgery, Florence was groggy and in a foggy mental state.”
As Florence’s family started to arrive at the hospital from other locations across the nation, they were routinely denied entrance under the guise of “COVID” restrictions. Several days later, once Florence was discharged, her family members realized the ring — and $300 necklace — were missing. While the hospital says patients shouldn’t bring jewelry to the hospital, the suit argues that an elderly woman in an emergency situation has no other option.
Also from the suit: “Further based upon in information obtained from Florence’s after-surgery nurse (whose name is unknown to Plaintiffs but in any case was an employee or agent of Defendant) had brought Florence to her room with the Ring and Necklace in a denture cup and then passed off Florence to the floor nurse (whose name is unknown to Plaintiffs but in any case was an employee or agent of Defendant) with the denture cup containing the Ring and Necklace, which the floor nurse left with Florence in her bed. Upon information and belief, when Florence was returned to her room following surgery, in the mental state described in paragraph hereof, she did not request the return to her of the Ring and Necklace and was not cognizant of the fact that they had been placed in a denture cup located in her bed.”
Boca Raton Regional Hospital, a division of Baptist Health, does not routinely respond to requests for information about pending litigation. But in the lawsuit, BRRH’s policy for valuable items brought into the facility at the time of surgery is clear:
“The Policy, in its “Valuables” section, states in pertinent part: “If family members are not present, valuable items should be given to the nursing staff to be secured in a valuables envelope and locked in the safe… A receipt is placed on the chart for the valuables locked in the safe. To retrieve valuables, the patient will request through the patient care provider who will contact Security to retrieve the valuables. The secured bag is opened in the presence of the patient and the valuables are match[sic] to the contents listings. The receiver of the valuables signs the Security Valuables Sheet.” Accordingly, Defendant understands that it has a duty to safeguard and properly return the valuables of its patients, and upon information and belief, Defendant trains its employees and agents who deal with patients’ valuables with the Policy.”
But in this case, security — and other hospital management personnel — are apparently unable to figure out what happened to the jewelry. BRRH continues to fight an elderly woman, and her family, over the missing ring.
Read the complete complaint here. Depositions continue this month and next month in the case which is filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
