Three arrested in Katrina hospital deaths

[Janice]

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Three arrests were made late Monday in connection with the alleged deliberate deaths of some patients at New Orleans Memorial Medical Center after Hurricane Katrina hit, a source close to the investigation told CNN.

The source told CNN the charges are "serious." Details of the arrests and investigation are expected to be disclosed by Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. at a news conference Tuesday.

Foti has been investigating for months whether hospital and medical staff euthanized some patients. He is expected to outline what he thinks happened to some of the 45 Memorial Hospital patients who were found dead after the August hurricane evacuations.

"We obviously think it's a very credible ... we spend a lot of time, energy and manpower working on this case ... so we think it's a good case," Foti told CNN in February.

In October, CNN reported exclusively that after deteriorating conditions -- with food running low and no electricity -- some medical staff openly discussed whether patients should be euthanized.

Dr. Bryant King, a contract physician for Memorial who was working before and after the storm, said another doctor came to him and recounted a conversation the doctor claimed she had earlier with a hospital administrator.

According to King, the doctor said that the administrator suggested patients be put "out of their misery."

King said that when he objected, this physician acknowledged his concerns but said that "this other (third) doctor said she'd be willing to do it." King told CNN that he later that day saw one doctor holding a handful of syringes. He left, King said, because he believed the doctors would follow through with their suggestion of euthanasia. However, King never saw any wrongdoing occur.

Shortly after he began his investigation last year, Foti issued 73 subpoenas to hospital staff and physicians after he said the hospital owner, Tenet, was not cooperating in the investigation.

Since then tissue samples have been sent to a private East Coast lab to determine if fatal doses of medicine -- including the painkiller morphine -- were in the bodies of any of the dead, New Orleans Parish Coroner Frank Minyard told CNN in December.

[sunny]

Foti details murder charges vs. trio for lethal injections
By CityBusiness staff report

2006-07-18 3:16 PM CST

BATON ROUGE — Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. announced today his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which made three arrests Monday in the investigation surrounding patient deaths at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, confirmed allegations doctors and nurses administered lethal doses of the drugs morphine and/or midazolam to several patients in the long-term care unit operated by Lifecare Hospitals on the seventh floor of Memorial Medical Center.

“I believe this case is a strong one and that these charges are based on sound legal and medical evidence," Foti said. "I also believe that there may be more arrests and victims that cannot be mentioned at this time and that this case is not over yet.

"While I am aware of the horrendous conditions that existed after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and left so many stranded without food, water, electricity and the basic necessities, I believe that there is no excuse for intentionally killing another living human being."

The alleged incidents took place after Hurricane Katrina on Sept. 1, 2005. MFCU investigators allege Dr. Anna Pou with the assistance of two nurses, Lori Budo and Cheri Landry, administered lethal injections to some patients as evacuations of the hospital were occurring.

"The fact is, the law was broken and it is my job to seek justice for the victims in this case. It gives me no pleasure to report what happened here today and my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those victims,” Foti said.

The following arrests were made on Monday evening:

— Dr. Anna Pou was charged as a principal with four counts of second-degree murder by intentionally administering lethal doses of morphine and/or midazolam to four Lifecare patients.

— Lori Budo was charged as a principal with four counts of second-degree murder by intentionally administering lethal doses of morphine and/or midazolam to the same four victims.

— Cheri Landry was charged as a principal with four counts of second-degree murder by intentionally administering lethal doses of morphine and/or midazolam to the same four victims.

Autopsies were performed on the four victims listed above by the Disaster Mortuary Operations Team and various tissue samples were taken including liver, brain and muscle. Purge fluids were also collected from the victims’ bodies. The samples were sent to National Medical Services for testing.

Test results were positive for morphine and midazolam. The results and victims medical records were sent to a forensic pathologist for review. Conclusions by experts were that none of the victims were administered morphine or midazolam for routine pharmaceutical care requirements but had received a lethal dose of these drugs.

Foti also thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Investigation, for its assistance in this case.•

[stormtruth]

Was the alternative to simply let these people suffer?

[Janice]

No, the alternative was to stay there and take care of them. Doctors and nurses are not to abandon their patients.

[sunny]

No, the alternative was to stay there and take care of them. Doctors and nurses are not to abandon their patients.

Yep.....

[stormtruth]

Maybe euthanasia should be legal. No need for people to suffer at the end of their lives.

[Janice]

How do we know these people were suffering. They may have just been old and sick. Sick like any other patient.

[stormtruth]

How do we know these people were suffering. They may have just been old and sick. Sick like any other patient.

That's true. Good point Janice. We will have to wait and see what their defense is I guess.

[kevin]

First do no harm.