Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist University Hospital is exhuming the body of a patient after she was buried without her family's consent, according to Fox13.
Rowena Burton died in August after complications from surgery on her foot. She suffered a stroke afterward and died Aug. 29.
It wasn't until Nov. 16 that Ms. Burton's sister, Eartha Duncan, was notified that Ms. Burton had been buried in October, although Ms. Duncan told Fox13 that the family did not give the hospital permission to bury Ms. Burton.
The family told the station that they had been waiting for the results of an autopsy and a death certificate to take care of funeral arrangements themselves, but they kept getting the runaround from the hospital. That's when they asked for the station's help.
Ms. Duncan told Fox13 that the hospital was exhuming Burton's body.
"It means the world to us, even though it’s devastating all over again. It means that we can have some form of closure," Ms. Burton’s mother told Fox13.
The health system gave Fox13 a statement indicating it is working directly with the family to address their questions and concerns.
More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:
5 hospitals in the spotlight for patient safety issues — and how they're fixing them
Major food companies pledge to use antibiotics responsibly
How a 3D model helps Penn State Children's give better heart care