The following information is drawn from death certificates and autopsy reports, as well as redacted copies of state death reports and regulatory reports where deficiencies in care were found. The manner of death cited is from the state's death certificate database, but, in some cases, the finding does not match the circumstances of death. Doctors at the hospital where the individual died typically designate the manner and cause of death unless there is a subsequent autopsy.
Investigations are conducted by the state Division of Health Service Regulation, which oversees medical facilities in North Carolina.
DOROTHEA DIX HOSPITAL
Psychiatric Facility, Raleigh
Opened 1856
Annual Budget: $71.9 million
307 patient beds
1,026 employees
JIMMY CLIFTON DAVIS, 52
Died: March 29, 2003
Hometown: Raleigh
Manner: Homicide
Investigation: Yes, no deficiencies cited.
Autopsy: Yes
Causes: Complications of blunt trauma to the chest as the result of assault
Summary: The hospital's report says Clifton was aggressive and had gotten in fights with other patients on March 20 and 24. After the second fight, chest X-rays showed acute fractures to his ribs. He was treated for broken ribs, but later became disruptive and was forcibly strapped to a table for four hours until he reportedly fell asleep and was released from restraints at 2:15 a.m on March 29. At 11 a.m., a nurse checked on Clifton and found he was unresponsive. The hospital initially reported that he died of pneumonia, but an autopsy found large amounts of fluid that had hemorrhaged into his chest cavity following the earlier assaults. The SBI investigated and the Wake County District Attorney's Office declined to file criminal charges.
DANA G. RENE, 64
Died: April 19, 2005
Hometown: Cary
Manner: Natural
Investigation: No
Autopsy: Yes
Cause: Subacute and chronic myocardis
Summary: Rene, who had bipolar disorder, choked on food while eating at Dix on April 14. She was resuscitated by staff members but in the following days she developed a fever and other symptoms of aspiration pneumonia. She was transferred to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill on April 19. Later that day, she was found in her room at UNC slumped in her bed and unresponsive.
GWENDOLYN LEWIS ASHWORTH, 47
Died: June 22, 2005
Hometown: Kinghtdale
Manner: Suicide
Investigation: Yes, no deficiencies cited
Autopsy: Yes
Cause: Codeine and ethanol toxicity
Summary: Admitted to Dix June 16 with dual diagnosis of mental illness and drug dependence after a suspected suicide attempt by drug overdose. Discharged from the hospital the following morning, her body was found near a pond on June 22. An autopsy determined she committed suicide by ingesting toxic levels of Codeine and alcohol.
LARRY ALONZO WARD, 46
Died: Jan. 9, 2002
Hometown: Lake Waccamaw
Manner: Accident
Investigation: Yes, no deficiencies indicated
Autopsy: Yes
Cause: Methadone Intoxication
Summary: Admitted involuntarily to Dix on Nov. 30, 2001, Ward had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and a history of drug-seeking behavior. He was discharged to his parent's home Jan. 8, 2002. According to a hospital report that cites interviews with his family, Ward went out "drinking with his friends" the night he got home. He was found dead in his car, the engine still running, the following morning. A sample of his blood tested by the medical examiner contained high levels of methadone, an opioid often prescribed to treat pain or ease the cravings of drug addicts.
JERRY SCOTT WOOSLEY, 30
Died: Feb. 12, 2001
Hometown: Clemmons
Manner: Accident
Investigation: Yes, deficiencies cited
Autopsy: No
Cause: Hepatic failure
Summary: In October 2000, Woosley, who had HIV, was sent to a clinic outside the hospital where he was prescribed to take a dose of the antiretroviral drug Videx once each night after a meal. Upon his return to Dix, a physician assistant erroneously transcribed the prescription as a dose an hour before meals and at night. For the next 101 days, Woosley received his medication at four times the prescribed daily dose. He died of acute liver failure.
DAVID CLAVIN RAGLAND, 39
Died: Oct. 5, 2001
Hometown: Fayetteville
Manner: Suicide
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: Intentional self harm, firearm discharge
Summary: The state said it no longer has the hospital's written report of Ragland's death, but an entry in an electronic database indicates he committed suicide at his mother's house within a week of discharge from Dix. A report to the medical examiner indicates he shot himself with a shotgun in a bedroom.
TERRY FRANK LEHMAN, 49
Died: July 2, 2002
Hometown: Winston-Salem
Manner: Suicide
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: Multiple blunt force injuries
Summary: Lehman was committed involuntarily on May 30 for major depressive disorder and a history of suicide attempts, including two in the prior two days. He took a drug overdose May 28 and slashed his left wrist May 29. A report from the hospital says he showed improvement and he was released to his family July 2. That evening, Lehman was driving on N.C. 109, a busy two-lane highway in northern Davidson County. Witnesses reported to the Highway Patrol that he swerved into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
GEORGIA LEE ROSE, 76
Died: Jan. 13, 2003
Hometown: Raleigh
Manner: Natural
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: Urinary tract infection
Summary: First admitted to Dix May 6, 2002, Rose had Alzheimer's dementia and could only communicate by screaming. She required near total assistance with feeding, dressing and other routine tasks. Admitted to Dix Dec. 13, she was moved to the hospital's medical unit Dec. 31 and treated with IV antibiotics for recurring urinary tract infections and IV fluids for dehydration. She died of the infection Jan. 13.
STEPHEN ADAMS MATTHEWS, 31
Died: Jan. 10, 2005
Hometown: Angier
Manner: Accident
Investigation: Yes, no deficiencies cited
Autopsy: No
Causes: Blunt force trauma to head and chest
Summary: Admitted to Dix three times in 2004, Matthews had a history of schizophrenia, paranoia and drug-induced delirium. After displaying "strange behavior" at a local emergency room following an overdose of prescribed medication, he was again transferred to Dix the morning of Jan. 10, 2005. According to the hospital's report, he was admitted to the adult crisis unit and assigned to be on close supervision by a staff member. At about 5:40 p.m., Matthews took off running down a hall and jumped over a half-door into the nurse's station. A male nurse caught him by an elevator and tried to restrain him. Matthews wrestled free and ran through a large window at the end of the hall, falling three floors to the sidewalk below. Following the death, and investigation concluded that a door in the back of the nurse's station that should have been locked was not and that the window glass should have been reinforced with a shatter-resistant safety film. However, investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to cite the hospital.
JOSEPH A. NATHAN, 41
Died: Feb. 1, 2006
Hometown: Raleigh
Manner: Accident
Investigation: Yes, no deficiencies cited
Autopsy: Yes
Cause: Accidental poisoning
Summary: Nathan, who was homeless, was admitted for major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse and other problems at least six times in the six months prior to his death. He was admitted to Dix Jan. 28 after talking of suicide but was discharged again two days later with two bottles containing 14 pills each of the antidepressant Effexor and the anti-psychotic Seroquel. The following evening, Jan. 31, he was found on the hospital's doorstep with symptoms of a drug overdose. He had two pills remaining in the Effexor bottle and the bottle of Seroquel was not found. He also said he had drunk a six pack of beer, which could cause problems with both prescription drugs. Nathan was treated in Dix's medical unit, which also consulted with a poison control center. He then had at least four seizures and died the following morning.
JERICO McCALLUM, 49
Died: Jan. 23, 2002
Hometown: Rowland
Manner: Unspecified
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: HIV disease; subdural hemorrhage
Summary: Admitted for mental problems associated with AIDS dementia, McCallum was admitted to John Umstead Hospital Nov. 16, 2001 and then transferred to Dix Nov. 21. He was sent to the hospital's medical unit after having a low-grade fever for 13 days and a noticeable decline in his mental status. A CT scan showed a large subdural hematoma, indicative of bleeding on the brain. The condition, usually associated with a traumatic head injury, has a high mortality rate and he continued to decline until he died on Jan. 23. From the limited information in the hospital's report, it is not clear how McCallum sustained his brain injury, but it is likely that he sustained the injury in the hospital.
WILLIAM PHILLIP NELSON, 82
Died: Jun. 14, 2002
Hometown: Greensboro
Manner: Unspecified
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: Pneumonitis due to food and vomit
Summary: Diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 20, Nelson was admitted to Dix on April 1, 2002, after he assaulted a stranger at a nursing home. An evaluation May 3 showed Nelson was having difficulty swallowing and he was placed on a diet of pureed foods. On May 15 he was admitted to the medical unit coughing and with a fever. A chest X-ray showed pneumonia. A stomach tube was inserted for feedings and to provide antibiotics. Nelson's arms were restrained to stop him from pulling at the tubes. He died June 14. The cause of death listed indicates he had likely inhaled food into his lungs.
VERN HENRY GRANSEE JR., 54
Died: Aug. 1, 2002
Hometown: Raleigh
Manner: Unspecified
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: Pneumonitis due to food and vomit
Summary: Involuntarily admitted to Dix on Jan. 18 after becoming unmanageable in a nursing home, Gransee had a mood disorder and a history of alcohol addiction. He was restrained into a wheeled recliner due to high risk for falls and "inability to comprehend safety techniques," according to the hospital's report. He was transferred to the medical unit April 25 for dehydration and recurring pneumonia. He was treated with antibiotics but continued to decline until his death Aug. 1. The listed cause of death suggest he inhaled food or vomit into his lungs.
ROBERT TAYLOR ROBINSON SR., 66
Died: Aug. 4, 2004
Hometown: Raleigh
Manner: Unspecified
Investigation: No
Autopsy:
Causes: Volume depletion; pneumonia
Summary: Admitted to Dix June 11, 2004, Robinson had Alzheimer's disease and was fed and administered medications through a tube inserted in his nose. On July 26, he developed a cough and was not getting enough oxygen. A chest X-ray showed pneumonia his doctor suggested was most likely caused by the inhalation of food or vomit. He was treated with antibiotics, but continued to decline and died the following week.
ISAAC MATTHEW SPEARS, 71
Died: March 31, 2005
Hometown: Sanford
Manner: Unspecified
Investigation: No
Autopsy: No
Cause: Antherosclerotic heart disease
Summary: Spears had severe dementia and was blind. Admitted to Umstead and Dix in the months prior to his death, he was placed in a nursing home but returned to Dix March 20 due to threatening behavior. On a previous admission to Dix, a tube was inserted through into his stomach to aid feeding. On March 30, according to the hospital's report, the feeding tube appeared clogged. An examination confirmed the tube had migrated down into his colon. It was rerouted into the stomach. Blood was soon noticed flowing back into the feeding tube. Spears was transferred to a nearby acute care hospital, where he died shortly after arrival from a heart attack triggered by intestinal bleeding.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.
Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.