Lawsuit alleges transfer failures led to patient’s death at Bellingham hospital
The family of a woman who died at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against PeaceHealth in federal court on Thursday.
The lawsuit was filed by the spouse of 62-year-old Kathleen Zamudio, who died at the Bellingham hospital on June 23, 2024, of cardiac arrest and aortic dissection — a tear in the body’s main artery. Her spouse alleges that PeaceHealth and its hospitals in Bellingham and Ketchikan, Alaska caused Zamudio’s wrongful death due to negligence and medical malpractice.
PeaceHealth Cardiology — two physicians at PeaceHealth Ketchikan and one at St. Joseph Medical Center — as well as the professional organizations that employed them, are also named as defendants.
PeaceHealth’s spokesperson for the region was out of the office Tuesday and could not provide comment.
Zamudio, who lived in Ketchikan, contacted EMS on June 22, 2024, after experiencing severe chest pain, according to the court filing. She was evaluated by first responders and taken to PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center.
The lawsuit alleges that the doctor who evaluated her at the hospital did not consult EMS records and failed to run certain tests or consider aortic dissection.
The physician recommended Zamudio be transferred to St. Joseph Medical Center for additional treatment. A transfer form was signed, but the cardiothoracic surgeon in Bellingham was never notified. No one at St. Joseph Medical Center had confirmed acceptance of Zamudio’s transfer at the time she was loaded for transport — a “critical failure,” according to the lawsuit.
While awaiting transfer, Zamudio reported sudden back pain, and a scan showed findings consistent with an aortic dissection. The court filing alleges that St. Joseph Medical Center was not updated on Zamudio’s worsening condition.
When Zamudio arrived in Bellingham after midnight on June 23, her transfer still had not been accepted by a cardiothoracic surgeon, and none were available to treat her. She was assessed and treated by an emergency physician who said that Zamudio would likely need to be transferred for treatment.
As he tried to find an available surgeon at nearby hospitals, Zamudio’s heart rate dropped and staff conducted CPR. The decision was made to stop chest compressions after the doctor explained that there were no other treatments or procedures that could save Zamudio’s life.
“The cascade of failures, all occurring within a single hospital system, directly and proximately caused Mrs. Zamudio’s death,” the lawsuit states.
PeaceHealth’s hospitals in Ketchikan and Bellingham are both accused of violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act for failing to provide stabilizing treatment to Zamudio. PeaceHealth is accused of corporate negligence, and all the defendants are accused of wrongful death, medical malpractice and negligence.
Zamudio’s spouse is also suing for loss of consortium, which is the loss of love, affection and companionship due to the alleged negligence and wrongful death. He’s seeking damages in an amount to be proven at trial for economic losses from medical and hospital expenses as well as non-economic loss for Zamudio’s pain and suffering and her family’s mental anguish.