Thread: Clerk fired after boy, 7, sent from ER

Clerk fired after boy, 7, sent from ER
October 22, 2009

Nicholas Keung



Humber River Regional Hospital has fired a registration clerk and apologized to a Mexican refugee family whose 7-year-old son, suffering a head injury, was turned away at the emergency room earlier this month.

Calling the incident "disturbing," hospital CEO Dr. Rueben Devlin said the female employee was terminated Monday after the administration investigated a complaint filed last week by the family's refugee caseworker.

"This is a one-time incident and does not represent Humber River as an organization," Devlin told the Star. "We serve one of the most diverse communities. It's reflected among our staff and we see it as our strength. We do not accept this. This is not part of our value."

Brenda Araujo-Morales said she took her son Angel to the hospital's Finch St. W. site around 5 p.m. Oct. 2, after the boy fell at home, causing a bleeding gash to his head.

In an interview, the mother said she and her three sons have been in Canada since 2007 seeking refuge from an abusive husband. But the family's interim federal health certificate had expired in August and they were waiting for their renewed insurance papers.

A Telehealth official instructed Araujo-Morales to go to hospital right away, reassuring her that a hospital is obliged to see her son and she would be reimbursed when her new health certificate came through.

"The woman at the registration desk said to me, `No, if you want somebody to look at your son, you have to pay the service fee.' She said it would cost us $650," recalled Araujo-Morales, 35. "The woman then said to me, `I have to pay taxes. (My colleague) has to pay taxes. If you want service, you have to pay.'"

When Araujo-Morales repeated what Telehealth had told her and said she didn't have the money, the employee refused to register Angel and referred him to a walk-in clinic. In pouring rain, the mother and son, with two brothers, Carlos, 10, and David, 4, in tow, walked 20 minutes to a clinic at the Jane-Finch Mall. Angel was seen by a doctor and they paid $60 for the visit.

Two weeks ago, the family received a $650 bill from Humber River, even though Araujo-Morales said her son never passed registration or was seen by medical staff.

Citing privacy concerns, Devlin would not reveal any details about the fired employee but apologized to the family. "The fact is we do know that the interaction between the employee and the family was not up to our standards," he noted, adding the medical bill has also been cancelled.

Lolly Rico, the family's caseworker, said it is rare for hospitals to turn away patients on an interim federal health program.

"It is just basic humanity that you don't turn away people in need of medical help," she said. "Firing someone is not a solution. You need to inform, educate and train your staff to be sensitive in dealing with the diverse community that you serve."


http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfea ... t-from-er#

"It is just basic humanity that you don't turn away people in need of medical help," she said. "Firing someone is not a solution. You need to inform, educate and train your staff to be sensitive in dealing with the diverse community that you serve."

Yet somehow, people are turned away when they have no money to pay. Why is that?

All I am going to say is that I am in contact with friends up in TO (Toronto), there are 3 separate Humber hospitals, as soon as I find out which one actually fired this woman they are going to get an earful from me.