A group of adult siblings say they were unable to locate their dying father after Dearborn, Mich.-based Beaumont Hospital listed him as a John Doe, even though he had identification with him, according to local CNN affiliate WXYZ.
James Earl White, 66, was admitted to the hospital as a John Doe Aug. 20 after a traffic accident, the White siblings told WXYZ. A day later, the family hadn't heard from their father, so they checked with hospital intake and were told he had not been admitted.
Another hospital called the family days later, informing them that Mr. White was at Beaumont Hospital. When the siblings got there, Mr. White was in critical condition.
Mr. White died Aug. 27 at Beaumont Hospital. The siblings say the hospital gave them a bag of their father's belongings, which included multiple forms of identification. They say Mr. White was also wearing a dialysis bracelet with personal contact information.
"The process to connect this patient with his family took longer than we desire, and we apologize for the stress this created," Beaumont Hospital said in a statement cited by WXYZ. "We are taking steps to prevent something like this from happening again."