Dignify Health has been accused by families of failing to inform them of their loved ones’ deaths and losing their bodies at its hospitals and facilities, according to complaints seen by The Independent.
The complainants charged that the California hospital system had carried out a “callous, reckless, and outrageous failure” by allegedly failing to inform the families of the deceased about their dead loved ones.
The Mercy San Juan Medical Center was found, during a 2022 health department audit, to have significant failures in the processing of the deceased.
The family of 31-year-old Jessie Peterson, who passed in April 2023, filed a complaint last year but has reportedly broadened the scope of their complaint after learning that others experienced similar failures, according to a complaint shared with The Independent.
The family’s lawyer alleged that Peterson was admitted during a diabetic episode, but died.
Peterson’s mother was allegedly informed by staff that her daughter left against medical advice and was therefore unaware of her death. Following the disappearance, the family launched a campaign to locate Peterson, speaking with friends and neighbors and posting flyers.
After a year of searching, the family discovered Peterson’s body at the Mortuary Support Services of Northern California in a state of serious decomposition.
As a result, her family was reportedly unable to hold the open-casket funeral for her that they would have had if they had known of her death.
The complaint also stresses that the poor state of the body also prevented officials from investigating what caused Peterson’s death, whether malpractice or otherwise.
The Walker family was uninformed of mother's death
The Walker family complained of similar failings after 51-year-old mother-of-four Tonya Walker was admitted to a Dignity Health hospital in 2023.
The mother, who was homeless but in regular contact with family, was reportedly suffering from high blood pressure, low blood sugar, and high potassium levels when she died in November 2023. Her family alleged they were never informed of her death.
The Walker family said they hung thousands of posters and even offered a reward for information that could have seen Tonya returned home, but would later discover in May 2024 that her body had been held at the Mortuary Support Services of Northern California for the duration of their search. Local police reportedly discovered her body.
Again, Walker’s body was said to have been in a bad state of decomposition, and the family said her eyes and skin had been removed for donation without consent.
The family’s complaint read that Dignity Health “unilaterally made the decision to make Ms. Walker an organ donor, and then without any permission whatsoever, harvested Ms. Walker’s eyes and tissue.”
Rachel Fiset, an attorney representing the Walker family, told The Independent that the hospital “knowingly and repeatedly violated their legal obligations.”
“The behavior has caused severe emotional distress beyond measure, particularly when coupled with what appears to be harvesting organs without authorization and storing dozens of unembalmed bodies in ‘cold storage’ for months, and even years, to decompose,” Fiset said. “It’s a gross disregard for human life, and the dozens of cases suggest the actions were at the least reckless, if not intentional.”
The family also named Mortuary Support Services of Northern California in their complaint.
An attorney for Michael Lofton, the owner of the morgue, denied wrongdoing.
“Obviously, this is a very unfortunate situation; however, our client, Mortuary Support Services of Northern California, disputes that it has any liability in this matter, and we intend to vigorously defend any claims against it,” the attorney said. “However, as this matter is now in litigation, we cannot comment further.”