An Indiana hospital has terminated a doctor and a nurse after a woman in active labor was turned away and gave birth just minutes later, officials said.
“The physician and the nurse directly involved with Mrs. Wells’ care are no longer employed by Franciscan,” Raymond Grady, president and CEO of Franciscan Health Crown Point, said in a statement on Friday, Nov. 21.
The incident happened on Nov. 16, when Mercedes Wells and her husband, Leon, arrived at Franciscan Health Crown Point after calling the day before to let staff know she was coming. Wells told ABC affiliate WLS that once they got to the hospital, staff instructed them to return home and wait for labor to advance.
Cell phone video from inside the hospital shows Wells breathing heavily in a wheelchair before security escorts her out.
In an interview with CBS News Chicago, Wells said she felt dismissed from the moment she arrived. She described being met by stern expressions rather than comfort, noting that she was in intense pain. According to Wells, a nurse examined her but said she wasn’t far enough along to be admitted.
Eight minutes after leaving the hospital, Wells delivered her daughter, Alena, in her husband’s car on the side of the road.
Grady said watching the video was upsetting and did not align with the hospital’s standards. He added that true compassion requires listening—especially when a patient is visibly suffering. “Compassionate concern is absent when a caregiver fails to listen to a patient who is clearly in pain and vulnerable,” he said. Grady acknowledged the hospital failed to respond appropriately to Wells’ warning signs and experience, noting she had previously given birth at the facility and recognized that something was wrong.
After the birth, the Wells family hired an attorney and alleged they were treated unfairly because they are Black, Fox affiliate WFLD reported.
Grady said the hospital is taking additional steps in response. He has ordered cultural competency training for all labor and delivery staff and implemented a policy requiring that every pregnant patient who is leaving the labor and delivery unit be examined by a physician before discharge.
“I apologize to Mrs. Wells and her family for failing to live up to our values,” Grady said, adding that the hospital will hold itself accountable to ensure patients are heard and receive equitable, compassionate care.
Grady also said he has contacted Wells and hopes to meet with her and her husband soon.
Following the roadside delivery, Wells was taken to Community Hospital in Munster for evaluation and care, CBS News reported.
