A St. Barnabas hospital patient's trip to the emergency ended in his death Jan. 19 New York's WABC-TV reported Friday.
John Verrier, 30, entered the medical facility that night because he was concerned about a rash, and was tested before waiting a reported eight hours to see a doctor WABC-TV reported.
A security officer at the hospital found Verrier shortly before 7 a.m. Jan. 20 in a chair in the area outside the hospital's emergency room.
'Per our policy and procedures, security checked on the patient and others, video surveillance confirms that he was still active and moving around as late as 3:45 a-m. a hospital spokesman told WABC-TV.
"He was found stiff blue and cold" a St. Barnabas employee told WABC-TV.
"He was there for a while," the employee told WABC-TV. "I'm saying he died because not enough staff to take care of the number of patients we see each day. We need more staff at St Barnabas hospital," the employee told WABC-TV." Based on number of people in the waiting room it is impossible to check on each person physically."
A hospital employee in the emergency room claims Verrier was not monitored WABC-TV reported.
"He was not checked on that is 100-percent false," the spokesman told WABC-TV after the television station verified if he was tended to at all during the eight hours.
"Based on number of people in the waiting room it is impossible to check on each person physically," the spokesman told WABC-TV.
"For me it feels like a cover-up," the spokesman told WABC-TV. "In healthcare, I understand it's a business but if people are dying under your watch, something has to be done.
Jan. 19 was Verrier's second trip to St. Barnabas according to information from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Verrier was recovered from a past drug addiction and residing at home The Journal-Constitution reported.
