Franciscan Health CEO Fires Staff, Issues Apology After Woman Gives Birth in Truck Minutes After Discharge
CROWN POINT — Franciscan Health Crown Point has terminated a physician and nurse and issued a formal apology after a pregnant woman was discharged from the hospital while in active labor, only to give birth eight minutes later inside her family’s truck on the side of the road, early Sunday.
The case sparked outrage across Northwest Indiana after video circulated online showing hospital workers wheeling the woman, I identified by family members as Mercedes Wells, out of the Labor & Delivery unit as she struggled through intense contractions.
According to the family, staff repeatedly told Wells she “wasn’t past 3 centimeters” and could not be admitted. They say Wells begged not to be discharged, telling staff something was wrong and she was in extreme pain.
Moments after leaving, the situation became critical.
While rushing toward Community Hospital in Munster, Wells gave birth inside the family’s truck on the roadside , without medical assistance. They arrived at Community minutes later with the baby already delivered.
A family member posted a public account online, calling the experience “preventable, negligent, and influenced by racial bias.”
“My sister-in-law was kicked out of Franciscan Health Crown Point while in active labor,” the post reads. “She begged the staff not to discharge her. Eight minutes later she gave birth on the side of the road. My brother had to deliver his own baby on the highway… This should never happen to any woman or any family.”
On Friday, Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady released a significantly expanded and more forceful statement, acknowledging major failures in Wells’ care and announcing immediate corrective actions.
Key Actions Taken by Franciscan:
- The physician and nurse directly involved in Wells’ care have been terminated.
- Mandatory cultural competency training is now required for all Labor & Delivery staff.
- A physician must examine all pregnant patients before they are allowed to leave the unit.
Grady called the video “difficult to watch” and emphasized that the hospital failed in its duty of compassionate care.
“We failed to listen to Mrs. Wells’ concerns… She knew something was not right,” Grady stated.
“Compassionate concern is absent when a caregiver fails to listen to a patient who is clearly in pain and vulnerable.”
Grady also apologized directly to Wells and her family:
“On behalf of Franciscan Alliance and Franciscan Health Crown Point, I apologize… We must fix what failed in our hospital so that no one experiences what happened to Mercedes Wells.”
He added that the hospital has reached out to the family and hopes to meet with them in person soon.
In an earlier message issued as the video spread widely online, Grady acknowledged the seriousness of the situation:
“The video and the comments it has generated are deeply troubling… The video does not accurately represent our values, which include respect for life and compassionate concern.”
He also noted that healthcare disparities are real, saying Franciscan aims to be part of the solution.
The family continues to call for accountability and says racial bias played a role in how Wells was treated and dismissed.
They believe the outcome, a roadside birth without trained medical staff, was entirely preventable.
Region News Source will continue following this developing story, including any upcoming legal action, family statements, or additional findings from Franciscan’s internal investigation.
