WHAT: On 11-2-23 Sean Cononie of the Homeless Voice called HCA Westside Hospital located in Plantation, Florida in response to a missed call in the middle of the night from the homeless man- Chad Leonard’s doctor. Cononie spoke to the hospital three times and all three times was told that Chad Leonard had been discharged. Cononie was suspicious and demanded to speak to a supervisor. After 20 minutes on hold, Cononie was informed that Chad Leonard had died around midnight. Cononie was in shock and asked the nurse if she was sure, she replied yes. Cononie asked for more details, the HCA Nurse told Cononie that Mr. Leonard had low blood sugar and the nurse had given him a sandwich, when she came back in the room approximately an hour later, she found Mr. Leonard unresponsive. The nurse did not tell Cononie the next statement until Cononie asked “Did he choke on the sandwich?” the HCA nurse replied yes.

Cononie asked why the nurse would give a hospital patient a sandwich with low blood sugar knowing low blood sugar causes them to be disoriented. Cononie added we don’t do that at the shelter for that reason, because the individual can’t focus on swallowing. Cononie asked why was Mr. Leonard not given medication to bring his sugar level up. Cononie was given no response. Cononie also asked why it took an hour for the nurse to check on Mr. Leonard. Again, Cononie received no response. Cononie asked was Chad Leonard on a Telemetry monitor where the nurses station would have seen his heart stop beating. Connie again received no response.

Cononie felt an investigation was needed so he made a call to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s office. Cononie found out that an investigation had already been started as to how Chad Leonard had died.


Cononie’s parting words to the HCA hospital nurse, “A homeless shelter kept Chad Leonard alive for 20 years and you all killed him in two days.”


FYI: HCA has many caregiver and patient stories regarding awful hospital care, how the hospital is being understaffed, and nurse-to-patient ratios. HCA has also been accused of pushing very sick patients into hospice too soon to keep the hospital mortality rate statistics low. If a patient dies in hospice that death will not count on the mortality rate statistics.


SEE MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORT ATTACHED-

Contact: Publicist, Kim Goedde 786.554.0422 or Sean Cononie 954.614.7326

BAD HOSPITALS HCA HOMELESS CHOKES AT HCA HOSPITAL