ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Officials at the University of Michigan Hospital failed to notify police of the suspicious death of a patient on Dec. 11, 2007. It was also recently discovered that the hospital waited six months to report to police that a thumb drive containing child porn was discovered in the Pediatric Emergency Department.
Dorothy Porterfield, 79, who was being treated for an aggressive case of lung cancer, was found dead because her tracheostomy tube “had been removed and was on the floor,” AnnArbor.com reports. Her death certificate listed the cause of death as cancer, but an independent autopsy found the cause of death was asphyxiation “due to the dislodgement of the tracheostomy tube,” according to an affidavit.
A family member asked hospital security to file a police report; however, the security captain and a Risk Management employee determined that it was unnecessary to file one.
Investigators executed search warrants on the security captain’s computer and E-mail account, but did not file any charges against the captain.
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