Officials investigate man's death in waiting room of hospital ER

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The New York state health department is investigating the death of a patient in the waiting room of a hospital emergency room.

Cayuga Medical Center president John Rudd tells the Ithaca Journal that the 52-year-old man’s death followed “a series of breakdowns” in procedure and the hospital is fully cooperating with the investigation.

Hospital officials say the man was brought to the hospital by ambulance on January 19 after he was found sleeping on the floor of a convenience store. He was alert and communicating with staff when he arrived, but was found dead two hours later in the waiting room.

Hospital officials told the Journal they began investigating the incident the following day, including interviewing staff and patients who were in the area at the time and reviewing footage from hospital security cameras.

According to the report, they found that a contracted nurse who was supposed to perform triage on ER patients did not examine the man and falsified hospital records.

“Through the investigation, it became apparent the nurse falsified her triage documentation,” Cayuga Medical Center Vice President of Medical Affairs David Evelyn told the Ithaca Journal. “She did not ask him those questions, she did not take those vital signs that she had put into the records, so she had falsified the records. On the tape, we can see (the patient) was looking around for a certain part of time he was there, but eventually, he just looks like he’s sitting there. People in the room said it appeared he was asleep.”

Officials say the travel nurse’s contract was terminated. The names of the nurse and patient weren’t released.

The cause of the man’s death wasn’t released.