MaineHealth, the largest healthcare system in Maine, has apologized after mistakenly sending condolence letters to the families of 531 living patients, incorrectly stating that their relatives had died.
The letters, issued in late October and signed by the health system, expressed sympathy for the supposed deaths and offered information on settling the “deceased’s estate.”
“We would like to express our condolences on the passing of [your relation],” the letter read. “We are reaching out to keep you informed about next steps related to [their hospital account and bill].”
A spokesperson for MaineHealth, which also serves parts of New Hampshire, attributed the blunder to a computer system malfunction. The organization later sent apology letters to affected families, assuring them that no medical records had been altered and that patient care was not impacted.
“MaineHealth sincerely regrets this error and has sent apology letters to all patients who have been affected,” the spokesperson said. “At no time were these patients listed as deceased in their medical records, and the issue has been fully resolved.”
One patient who received the letter telling her she had died told local outlet 13WGME that she was shocked and upset. “It was pretty upsetting to open that. Why would they say I was dead?” she said. “I was worried it could cause problems if they reported me as deceased.”
The patient said a hospital representative later told her they were aware of the problem and planned to send out corrections. “He said, ‘I’m glad to hear you’re still alive and well,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, me too.’ That was the end of the conversation.”
MaineHealth operates eight hospitals and an extensive network of clinics across Maine and New Hampshire, treating more than 1.1 million patients annually and employing over 24,000 staff.
