On July 26, what started as a life-and-death medical emergency turned into a legal dispute that drew nationwide condemnation and underscored the high price that sometimes comes with sticking with good compliance procedures and professional ethics.
It began with a police chase in northern Utah that ended in a crash that killed the fleeing suspect and nearly killed another motorist who was, in turn, taken to the University of Utah Hospital’s burn center for treatment. There, a Salt Lake City detective named Jeff Payne—who is specifically trained by the Salt Lake City to draw blood from patients, demanded a blood sample from the patient. Nurse Alex Wubbels cited hospital policy, which prevented the drawing of blood in this case because the patient could not consent (having been placed in a medically induced coma prior to arriving at the hospital.), Detective Payne did not have an electronic warrant, and the patient was not under arrest. This policy was agreed to by the Salt Lake City PD, leaving Nurse Wubbels with little room to maneuver. Despite Detective Payne’s demands for a blood sample, she could not comply with his demand without breaching compliance with the hospital’s own policy.
