A picture of a homeless man sitting on a wet sidewalk outside of Aurora hospital has sparked an internal investigation.
Someone snapped the picture of the man discharged from Aurora Sinai Medical Center wearing only a hospital gown and scrub pants in the cold. A local homeless organization says the man was being treated for frostbite.
A Spokesperson at Aurora says they are investigating the situation and they released this statement to TODAY'S TMJ4:
"It is clear that our protocols and values were not followed, and we're deeply troubled by this. We're taking this matter very seriously and have suspended the individuals involved, pending an investigation."
A spokesperson also said later Tuesday:
We’ve set up a task force to help best address these complicated cases and ensure safe discharge planning for vulnerable individuals. We’ve reached out to key community leaders asking them to join us on our task force and in our efforts. We believe that, together, we can find long-term solutions.
We’re also re-educating caregivers on our service commitments to treat all patients with dignity and respect. What occurred was contrary to our values, and we’re doing everything that we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
TODAY'S TMJ4 has a crew investigating this story and we'll have the latest on Live at 4, 5, and 6.
