A Hamilton County jury has ordered a $10 million payout to the family of 69-year-old Terri Price, who died days after being admitted to the geriatric psychiatric unit at Good Samaritan Hospital in March 2020. Her relatives say medical orders for fluids, IV antibiotics, and potassium were written but never carried out, and they hope the verdict pressures the hospital to overhaul how it handles medically fragile patients. The unanimous decision caps a five-year malpractice case that family attorneys say exposed dangerous gaps between psychiatric and medical care.
How a Psychiatric Transfer Ended in Tragedy
The jury returned its unanimous verdict on May 1 and found that Price had been transferred from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center because of limited bed capacity, then placed in a psychiatric ward despite records noting an infection and a diagnosis of “neurocognitive disorder due to a medical condition,” as reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer. Trial filings presented in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court said Price tested positive for delirium on arrival and that a Good Samaritan physician ordered the transfer without reviewing prior records or physically examining her.
Orders Written but Not Followed, Family Says
According to Price’s family, her condition spiraled in the psychiatric unit. They say she developed a perforated bowel and septic shock after failing to receive the IV antibiotics and fluids she needed. Family attorney Charlie Rittgers told WLWT that “these orders were placed” but were never carried out, calling the care “some of the worst” he had seen. WLWT also reported that three jurors on the panel had ties to the medical field, something Rittgers said gave the verdict extra weight.
Family Presses for Policy and Training Changes
Price’s daughter, Jennifer Wiesner, said the family wants the ruling to push hospitals to adopt clearer protocols so medically ill patients are not left in psychiatric beds and to improve nurse training on recognizing delirium and escalating medical care, according to reporting by The Cincinnati Enquirer. The legal team has also called for revisions to transfer and staffing policies so that other families do not endure a similar loss.
Hospital “Deeply Disappointed,” Weighs Appeal
TriHealth, which operates Good Samaritan Hospital, said it is “deeply disappointed” with the jury’s decision and will consider all options, including an appeal, hospital officials told Becker's Hospital Review. For the Price family, attorneys say the award is less about the money and more about forcing changes so that medically fragile patients are identified quickly and treated as medical emergencies when needed.
