Robin wrote on Nov 30, 2009 12:45 PM:

" Roll em in, move em out. CEO"S take notice. I am a professional in healthcare. I take pride in my job and my care for patients. Serious mistakes are happening everywhere because of budget cuts, understaffed, overworked and underpaid hospital staff. Fact is we are all human and we all make mistakes. Budet cuts and underastaffed personell are accidents looming in the background. It's a shame it takes something this horrible since the 60's for people to start recognizing the real problem in hospital staffing. "




PE wrote on Sep 24, 2009 2:30 PM:

" I love how the herald only approves a few comments!! Thanks for not posting my comment Williston Herald!! Was that too much for you!! SIMPLY NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH!! AND AS FOR YOU STEVE POWELL!! WE KNOW YOU WE WERE ASKED TO WRITE THAT!! FOR I GOT MY INFO FROM THE SAME STAFF MEMBER THAT ASKED YOU TO WRITE AN ARTICLE UP!! "




a person wrote on Sep 22, 2009 12:36 PM:

" You should really take this article off! Dont you think it's horrifying to read for the mother? seriously! "




charles wrote on Sep 20, 2009 11:19 PM:

" On September 13th I sent an email to Kerry Monson questioning what I saw she said re: baby switching. Having been affiliated with television since 1959 I asked if she did not owe truth a fair hearing. I have a close personal relationship with Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and wish them the best. Careless talk represents a threat to their well-being. In these perilous economic times no organization can afford a costly law suit. Lack of candor will create a climate for such action. "




anonymous wrote on Sep 20, 2009 4:44 PM:

" I just don't understand how a mother doesn't know her own baby especially what her baby looks like. I am sorry but no two babies are the same unless they are identical twin which in this case they were not.

I had all my babies at Mercy my recent on just 4 months ago. We both had bands and so did my husband, I kept my baby with me unless I was taking a shower. But still I knew my baby and knew what he looked like. I feel no sympathy for the parents because they should of been aware and do blame the hospital for the whole thing because they should have double checked the bracelets like they are suppose to before you leave. Understaffed or not you are supposed to do your job. I use to work at a nursing which was understaffed all the time but we still didn't have room fo rmistakes we had to do are job and not cut corners. "




just me wrote on Sep 19, 2009 8:24 PM:

" its making me mad that you are protraying the mothers as if they didnt know. yes there are great nurses that work there. but come on when you do ask the nurse questioning and she tells you not to worry you trust that they know what is going on. its not like the mothers were saying oh i heard of another hospital mixing up the babys maybe that happened to me give me a break. they both felt something was wrong period! "




Frank wrote on Sep 19, 2009 11:45 AM:

" SJ, professional liability insurance (malpractice insurance) is so costly, because we Americans are a lawsuit happy society, not because of honest mistakes. We're always looking for an easy payoff. Besides, it's called "practicing" medicine. "




Concerned wrote on Sep 19, 2009 9:07 AM:

" Well lets see.. Yeah the Nurses made a mistake, should they be forgiven or punished? Well from what I see I put myself in the shoes of them Mothers, Honestly do you think they are sitting there thinking Mistakes are Mistakes? Maybe and Maybe not..So who are we to judge what they are thinking. Second the problem I have with the "LET THE HOSPITAL AND THE MOTHERS WORK THIS OUT SCENRIO IS THIS.. First they work it out then it is swept under the rug and everyone is suppose to forget it happened. DONT WORK THAT WAY, They need to let the public know what they did to Correct the situation so that people that are going there for services can feel safe again.
A family member of mine just had a baby there right after this happened. She was scared to let her baby leave that room and didn't .. She slept with the baby in the room.. It went to get bathed first time and any tests it need done but other than that the baby didn't leave her side. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE A BABY, A MOM NEEDS SLEEP ESPECIALLY IF THEY WERE IN HARD LABOR SO MANY HRS. SHE SHOULD HAVE HAD NO FEARS OF HER BABY BEING THERE IN THE NURSERY.
Or what about Mothers with C-Sections that cant even get up and move after having a baby, They depend on the staff to keep there babys safe too.
SO YES THE NURSE SHOULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES,, BE FIRED ??? NO "




people wrote on Sep 18, 2009 10:49 PM:

" the nurse that discharged the mother never told her to wait!! she cut off the braclet and she even helped the mother put the baby in the carseat for heavens sakes! "




Carrie Jacobson Attebury wrote on Sep 18, 2009 8:27 PM:

" I was born at Mercy. And every birthday I have I thank god for the Dr who delivered me and soon after saved my mothers life and mine. "




withheld wrote on Sep 17, 2009 6:16 PM:

" honest mistake is an oxymoron "




n wrote on Sep 17, 2009 1:06 PM:

" I recently gave birth to my second baby at Mercy, my first was at another hospital in the state. Both my husband and I had bracelets that matched our sons while at Mercy. I was the one who cut it off after they checked everything out before we left. We were not allowed into the nursery area without a bracelet or without it being checked. All the babies also wear a security bracelet until right before they are discharged that triggers an alarm if you are to close to the door that leaves the OB unit. I do agree that they are understaffed there. But the nurses that cared for both me and my son while we were there were amazing nurses. It was my decision to keep our son in the room with us 98% of the time. I don't want to say that these women are bad mothers but I don't get how you don't know your child... "




annomous wrote on Sep 17, 2009 1:05 PM:

" both parents noticed there was something different. the one, was a new mom they listen to what they are told because they trust the people with the education and experience. i dont think that this will happen again or should i say i know this will not happen again. if you are not the ones experiencing this issue then you have no room what so ever to point fingers at anyone. Its time to leave well enough alone "




MN reader wrote on Sep 16, 2009 10:28 PM:

" I lived in your community for over 20 years and was a patient at Mercy. I now live in another rural community in Mn. If you expect to have a hospital in your town, then expect that they will have to staff in a way that keeps them in business. How many of you pay your bills with cash? And if not, do you know how little your insurance pays? How can you expect that hospitals can staff for the optimum when they are paid the minimum? That aside, one of the writers made mention of the fact that staff don't come to work to make mistakes. I would venture to say that NONE of the people involved planned that this would happen. We ALL make mistakes and Mercy is doing what they can to mitigate this one and prevent others.
And finally, why are babies EVER separated from their parents. I have had children and mine did not spend their time in the nursery. They were with me and I fought to keep them there. If they needed tests, the lab techs could come to the room to draw the blood. No one can mix up your child with someone else's if yours never leaves your room. "




Its Sooo Sad ... wrote on Sep 16, 2009 8:23 PM:

" u know, i dont blame the hospital..cause we have a great hospital..but the person that lacked on there job to do with this case, should be fired..I mean really...what if it wouldnt have been caught..thats just sad...and a baby knows there own mother...imagine the fear that little baby had...dont punish the hospital, but the person responsible should not be able 2 work in a hospital AGAIN! "




Amazing wrote on Sep 16, 2009 4:24 PM:

" how many times do you excuses for mercy? Over the they have made bigger mistake then the baby exchange but never hear about them. nercy is not the best in the west and if the leaders in the front offices this kind of thing wouldnt happien. Yes the mothers and the staff screw up but who is the one getting PAID to do this service? Come on folks stop and thing about all the statements in the paper who is really in the wrong. In school if you get a A that is great, well if you get a F you need help. "




Debbie wrote on Sep 16, 2009 2:48 PM:

" Everyone's ok, the babies are fine. I'm sure steps have been taken so this won't happen again. Have none of you ever made a mistake. I know, what about the parents? I sure as heck would have known my babies. If someone would have told me it was normal, I would have told them they were dead wrong! And both my babies were born c-section! Hmmm makes you wonder. And why did the mom just leave even after she was told to wait. Again something fishy there? If you all want to look for something than just a mistake, we could come up with all kinds of crap. "




mama of 2 wrote on Sep 16, 2009 11:20 AM:

" To ALL you SUE HAPPY PEOPLE that have NEVER made a mistake in you whole life well keep lieing to yourselves your not perfect by anymeans, i had a baby last year at Mercy and the did the whole checking braclets so yes they do, let it go, it was a accident dont drag it on that would be more hard on the families involved but most of you wouldnt realize that cuz your to into yourselves and all worried about "whos gonna pay for this" why dont you try to doing there job for a month and then see what you have to say. i love Mercy Medical Center and would never go back to Minot EVER again. "




Serena Mueller wrote on Sep 16, 2009 10:41 AM:

" OMG you people... yeah it was a stupid mistake...on everyones part. If the mother truely thought she didn't have the right baby why didn't she read the name band and compare the numbers. My son came home with his name band on, I would have easily been able to tell that it didn't say my last name... so actually I blame the parents the most and yeah that OB is understaffed, underpaid and under stress... give them a break. Girls on OB I have your back!!! "




concerned wrote on Sep 15, 2009 10:20 PM:

" It is a great thing that they were reunited but who is to say that this thing hasn't happened before and gone unnoticed. I understand that the OB unit is understaffed and have a "mini baby boom" but that should be the reason that they work even harder to make sure that something like this doesn't happen. I was always taught that when things are extra crazy or busy it is even more important to take a little time and be sure of what you are doing and do it 110 percent. Hopefully all will learn from their mistakes and this will never happen again. "




SJ wrote on Sep 15, 2009 10:20 PM:

" Absolutely disgusting that this happened! I am well aware that medical mistakes happen, and that is why malpractice insurance is so high. However, this was not a medical mistake...this was employee(s) that obviously did not do their job plain and simple. I have had a baby at Mercy, and I did have great care. I'm sure these mothers had great care as well. But that's not the point, the point is somebody forgot probably one of the most important details while working in an OB unit. Oh and the mother who got sent home with the wrong baby...I know who she is...and can only imagine how she felt when some plain-clothes woman with no identification shows up at her door saying she needs to take my baby, claiming she works at Mercy (which she did, but how was that family to know). Way to go, again. Anyways, that's my 2 cents, and I do know the facts. And by the way, I don't think "reliable hospital officals" should be discussing this case with Joe Q Public either. "




Billy wrote on Sep 15, 2009 9:52 PM:

" This mother was FULLY discharged when she went home with the wrong baby. I don't care what excuse there might be it is not OK. It is also a HUGE deal. I can very well see that it would be devistating. It would cause WAY to many questions and concerns about the proper care of my child in that hospital.Two mothers questioned on the "changes" in their baby.That is how this was caught.IT IS UNFAIR TO JUDGE ANY OF THESE PEOPLE. Those who made a mistake need to be held accountable. End of story. "




upset wrote on Sep 15, 2009 8:39 PM:

" This is for all the people with the critism, were you there that day? Do you know how both parents felt that day?For heavens sakes people both famlies noticed changes when they had the wrong babies! The mother that brought home the wrong baby day was never told to stay put, she was never even escorted out of the hospital! and she didnt even bolt out of there neither! How could a mother bolt out when she just had a c-section! "




Sick of the noise... wrote on Sep 15, 2009 8:25 PM:

" I agree with the previous person that posted a comment along the lines that it is easy to throw stones when you live in glass houses. People that work in healthcare often do it because they love their jobs, because if it were just for the money, they would quit immediately. People have forgotten their own responsibility in their own health and wellness, and are quick to bring litigation when things don't go perfectly. I work in healthcare as a nurse, and I can tell you that it is a terrifying and often frustrating, but also rewarding job. I have worked on several units, some of them postpartum - and there are many hospitals that still allow the parents to bring their children to the nursery so they can rest, or go smoke, or take a walk. They do it as a service to the patients, because the patients demand it. I'm sure many of them would be happy to stop doing so.

I can't tell you how incredibly frustrating it is to hear people make judgements on something they know nothing about. Anyone that is a nurse would probably confirm that for you, especially one in a small town. People often put their two cents in where it doesn't belong. If you are making critical judgements on this incident, yet are only hearing rumors from people who were not involved, perhaps you should check yourself. I nearly guarantee that you do NOT know the whole story, and should refrain from spreading further gossip.

Perhaps there need to be some changes made, it is hard to say based on what the general public knows. However, is the actual story really anyone's business? No. What the hospital does to prevent any further incidents from happening, is your business. Let the hospital conduct it's own investigation into the facts and deal with the incident as they see fit. If it concerns you as a patient or future patient, be sure to take charge of your own health and be an active participant in your own care. "




Resident wrote on Sep 15, 2009 5:10 PM:

" I say, shame on YOU, Williston Herald for allowing the vile and unfounded comments from these armchair executioners to be posted. Nobody on here knows exactly what happened, thus has no right to place any blame, whether on the hospital staff or the families involved. Can you say defamation? Shame on you for allowing it! "




ldg wrote on Sep 15, 2009 4:39 PM:

" Seriously, as a mother who has an 8 month old who was born at this hospital, i am completely shocked! First off...me being a mother and that first sight of my child, i would know if i was given the wrong baby! The minute that child is born they put bands on both mother and child. There is no excuse for those children getting mixed up! Second, i dont care how short staffed they are, our health and well being depends on these people. The beginning of this summer they collapsed my mothers lung doing a biopsy for breatcancer! I used to once think that we had a decent maternity ward...now im not so sure anymore! "




concerned citizen wrote on Sep 15, 2009 3:37 PM:

" Wow...people sure do quick to judge on here! We all know Mercy was to blame here, they made the mistake plain and simple..Now for them to fix it..But for everyone on here to make comments on her about them not knowing their own baby! Come on now..seriously..These mothers had the babies in the nursery so they could have their last good night of sleep before being discharged..Both mothers were exhausted and drugged up from c-sections..Mothers don't get their "special bond" when they are taken from them right away..and then when you have visitors constantly..Also babies change all the time..No mother didn't catch it when the baby was changed, cause the nurse is the one who got the baby ready to go home and cut the bracelet off before the baby was even discharged! "




Retired CNA wrote on Sep 14, 2009 11:59 PM:

" Babies used to wear name tags on their ankles. Don't they still? If one mom thought there was something different, didn't she look at the tag? But even so..you'd think holding your baby, unwrapping him/her, changing them, you would still look at the tag? Not excusing the overworked understaffed employees...whose job it is to always check name bands with the baby and the mother before handing the infant to the mom.
Just like having surgery...better take that magic marker and put an X on the spot you need work done on! "




just wondering wrote on Sep 14, 2009 9:40 PM:

" why does it sound like only 1 mom was reunited with the mother, I think both moms would be reunited with their babies?!?! "




Cindy wrote on Sep 14, 2009 6:11 PM:

" I have been in the medical field for over 30 years and I have seen many errors by nurses and doctors and there is no excuse for them! Not paying attention and being careless is the reason for "accidents". I am sick and tired of hearing about people not being taken care of properly, let alone a baby going home with the wrong parents. Totally inexcusable and unforgiveable! Those involved should be relieved of their jobs; I know the health care givers have had many inservices to educate them--apparently it didn't work this time! "




Liz wrote on Sep 14, 2009 4:40 PM:

" This screams DNA test. Hope all of my kids are actually mine!! "




Amy wrote on Sep 14, 2009 4:20 PM:

" WHen both my babies were discharged from Mercy, they were not allowed to leave with me until the numbers on their braclets were matched with mine. The bracelets were not allowed cut off UNTIL we were all packed and ready to walk out the door. So, for something like this to happen blows my mind. I dont care how busy they get, it should have never happened. "




Allen Ot wrote on Sep 14, 2009 3:22 PM:

" Before you all begin pointing fingers, spreading rumors, and belittling the wonderful skilled staff that take care of us and our loved ones at Mercy Medical Center, we all need to hear the facts. Were the nurses to blame here? Yes. But under the circumstances and conditions that surround this incident, as well as the hectic situations that swamp the nursing staff at the hospital, problems such as this can and do occur. The hospital is understaffed in the labor and delivery department, as well as greatly underpaid. That is a fact. They are currently experiencing a mini-baby boom at this time, that is another fact. With this increased activity in births, some of them being emergency births, and no increase in staff, of course things will get hectic and errors such as this can and do occur. I am in no way excusing or downgrading the error that was made, but there is always two sides to every story. The staff in that department is wonderful, having dealt with them numerous times, I know this first hand. None of you understand the stresses of those who care for us. Those of you who say "you don't trust the nurses here" are looking to spread your small town gossip and jump on the local bandwagon of naysayers and finger-pointers. Get off your soapbox. Most of you whom read and comment on these stories have no experiences even dealing with the things you comment on. Lastly, In all the years of operation of Mercy Medical Center, this is the first incident of this nature. We do not know the whole situation and the circumstances that surround this. As commented before, "Why does the hospital keep this stuff confidential? It's simple folks. Google the term HIPAA. It's a complex program set up to protect the identity and confidential information of all patients, health care providers, health insurance providers etc. The hospital has no control over this. They CAN'T release information on the details. What they have released is basically all they can release. "




Cecilia wrote on Sep 14, 2009 12:53 PM:

" Let those among you who have never made a mistake be the first to be critical. We are human and constantly make mistakes regardless of how perfect some people think they are. It was caught and corrected; enough said. "




UNKNOWN wrote on Sep 14, 2009 12:27 PM:

" SERIOUSLY PEOPLE THINGS HAPPEN AND I DONT THINK ANYONE SHOULD BE SAYING ANYTHING UNLESS THEY KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED RUMORS ARE RUMORS LET THE HOPSITAL AND FAMILIES FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE EVERYONE JUST ASSUMES! "




WOW wrote on Sep 14, 2009 8:36 AM:

" I thing Mercy needs to change their security policies when it comes to the babies there. I live in a very large city, and one of the things that all hospitals do here is a scanning system. The mother wears a bracelet and the baby wears a bracelet. When anything is done with either mom or baby, the nurses are to scan to make sure they match. Obviously Mercy may want to look in to investing in something like this. It may be pricey, but very much well worth it in the end.
Mistakes happen, but that was a huge and scary mistake. "




Amber wrote on Sep 14, 2009 3:15 AM:

" Thankful that all involved are ok now. I have always wondered as a mother of 3, why do parents let the 'nursery' of the hospital take their children out of their sight? Those that thought that I was crazy for thinking this way, I hope you are reading this! "




Becki wrote on Sep 14, 2009 2:40 AM:

" I'm a nurse on a maternity unit and this has never happened at our hospital since they started having the babies stay with the parents 27/7. They are bathed in the room, given all their blood draws and tests in the room right in front of the parents. If there is a test or procedure that needs to be done outside the room, one of the parents are asked to accompany the baby. If they refuse, then we check the ID bands as soon as the baby is back in the room. Seriously....this is 2009, these types of errors should be things of the past. "




Steve Powell wrote on Sep 13, 2009 11:19 PM:

" My understanding is that a nurse caught the problem before the mom left with the wrong baby. The problem lies in the fact that when the mom was told to wait while the nurse double checked records, the mom bolted. This has been noted to me by several viable hospital sources. Can those of you that are speculating based on here-say, prove likewise with cold hard facts? My next question then would be...if both mothers had these babies all morning long, on the day of discharge, shouldn't they have noticed the issue themselves right away? I just had a child there 6 short months ago and can tell you it doesn't take a genius to know if you have the right baby or not. "




g wrote on Sep 13, 2009 7:43 PM:

" what happened to arm and wrist bands with have the matching number and names on them? they are to be matched with the parents each and every time the baby is brought in the room and discharged, someone isn't doing there job here "




interested wrote on Sep 13, 2009 6:28 PM:

" I have to agree with the poster who mentioned that the OB ward is seriously understaffed. The hospital must take responsibility for leaving babies and mothers in the care of too few staff and expecting everything to go well. The OB service is one of the best in the hospital but the nurses who work there are expected to do too much with too few on duty at any one time. That is what leads to mistakes. "




Pat Torngren wrote on Sep 13, 2009 4:49 PM:

" If mothers and babies were kept together during the first hour for skin-to-skin contact and bonding (and thereafter) mothers would know the sight, sound and smell of their baby so well that no accidents could occur! Are some hospitals still separating mothers and newborns???? It should never be done! "




scruffy1 wrote on Sep 13, 2009 3:16 PM:

" Yep, our Healthcare system is prefect don't change a thing. "




Paul wrote on Sep 13, 2009 2:05 PM:

" I wouldn't call the situation a "tragedy"...that is a little extreme. It is definately a misfortnune...but TRAGEDY??? "




Baby Keeper wrote on Sep 13, 2009 1:54 PM:

" I'm curious to know the details of their experiences that created the possibility for this to even happen. Surgical births, how long and why are babies in the nursery. The routine, medically unnecessary interventions done in the hospital disrupt the biological functioning meant to create attachment and bonding. Nature wants mother to be so connected with her baby that she can see, smell, sense, and hear her baby among others. Our social demand ought to be that after "live birth" our priority should be mother-baby are kept together. All the measuring, bathing, exams, etc are unnecessary. Glucose tests aren't necessary if baby's cord is left intact until placenta releases, baby breastfeeds within first hour. Mother mistaking her baby doesn't happen in homebirths. A homebirth mother would know in a second if baby wasn't hers. If you must go to hospital to give birth demand that your baby stay with you at all times. YOU can bath your baby, weigh your baby. "




Annoyed wrote on Sep 13, 2009 1:30 PM:

" You know, all you people need better things to do besides bad mouth the hospital. What happened was more than likely an honest mistake. Really...what sort if mother would not recognize their own child?!? I dont care if the nurses would tell me that it was normal for the baby to look a little different. I'm pretty sure any normal mother would insist it was not their child they had and demand it at least gets looked into before they leave. Honestly people, let it go. It happened. It's over with. There was no "pain and suffering." No one was hurt. Mental anguish? Yes. However, to pursue leagal action over something like that? Come on. It's only an opportunity for the people involved to earn a dollar. Give it a rest. "




LJM wrote on Sep 13, 2009 1:28 PM:

" I think it is a shame that everyone is putting total blame on the hospital in this situation. What parent wouldn't recognize their own child after spending 2-3 days with them? I recently had a baby and spent almost every hour for the 3 days I was in the hospital with my baby. WE as parents had to get the baby dressed and put her in her car seat before we left the hospital. I know that some people say "all babies look alike" but that is just not true. I am not saying the hospital shouldn't take some of the rap.... but, I don't think it is entirely their fault !!! "




another prev. patient wrote on Sep 13, 2009 12:41 PM:

" Yeah the OB can understaffed but there should be no reason for what happened!!!It's not going to hurt them to take a few more minutes to double check the braclets and follow ALL the procedures even if they have to be rushed! Just because of this simple mistake and a procedure that was skipped 2 famlies have to live with this for the rest of there lives!!! Not just the discharge should be punished but the nurses that swoped the 2 boys in the middle of the night should also!!! "




jcostello wrote on Sep 13, 2009 12:17 PM:

" When my grandsons were born last year in California, the hospitals practiced extreme security measures. This included matching bracelets on both parents and the infant, and all were checked each time a nurse came in contact with the new family. (This took about two seconds.) The final, careful check was outside by the car, along with the infant-seat check. Further, these bracelets would set off alarms if babies were taken too close to an elevator during their stay. Both families were told that their new babies should NEVER be out of the sight of at least one parent, even during circumcision. I can't imagine being less cautious with a new little life. "




Frank wrote on Sep 13, 2009 11:40 AM:

" I wondered how long it would take you guys to bring up a lawsuit. Typical lawsuit-happy Americans. "




Nurse in the know wrote on Sep 13, 2009 10:56 AM:

" I work OB in a LARGER city-- 20-30 births? Try 14 in one day. This has not happened in my 17 years working with babies. I alone care for 6-7 babies a a pt load. Mercy should redo their protocol and procedures!!!!!!! "




Astounded wrote on Sep 13, 2009 12:49 AM:

" I would assume that MMC will be paying for genetic testing to reassure everyone that they do indeed have the right baby!

What a confidence-shaking event for our local hospital! "




Resident of Williston wrote on Sep 12, 2009 10:36 PM:

" I think its easy to criticize when you don't know all the facts. I didn't see anything in the article that led me to presume a position of ignorance by participating in the name calling and insults that I have seen hurled here. Obviously, this is a tragic event, but what makes it more tragic is that some people are willing to publicly massacre the parties involved when they have little information about the actual event.

Perhaps before people start jumping on the hate bandwagon, they should wait for the rest of the story. There are always two sides. "




s wrote on Sep 12, 2009 10:13 PM:

" you hear about stuff like this in the big cities and even then it unexcusable, but in a small community like this there is no reason for it. i do feel bad for both families, but as a new mother, of a 3 month old, how do you not notice that its not your baby? alot of babies look similar, but you always know your own baby. don't you?..........definately look into the legal aspects to make sure this doesn't happen again....its a mistake that should not have occured and that the hospital should have to take full responsibility for their negligence in this matter "




Mom of 2 wrote on Sep 12, 2009 9:19 PM:

" Someone did not do their job! I have had two children in a different North Dakota hospital and every time my baby was brought to me or I picked it up in the nursery, a nurse compared the number on my wrist band to the number on the baby's ankle band, if the numbers matched it was the right baby. As far as I know, many, if not all, hospitals have this same policy. Staffing issues or not there is absolutley NO EXCUSE for what happened. "




anonymous wrote on Sep 12, 2009 7:54 PM:

" there were more than likely a lot of factors related to the mix up, and only those directly involved know what those factors are...I feel the correct actions will be taken to ensure something like this will never happen again...there are stories like this everywhere...the size of the hospital in my opinion isn't the factor....I do understand the extreme anguish this incident may have caused the families involved, however I do not see how jumping to having the nurse involved fired is going to solve anything....haven't you every made a mistake...I know a pretty serious mistake, but a mistake nuntheless. I think we should all focus on the good, not just the bad things our little community hospital provides...I for one would trust the staff here with my child, just as I always have regardless of one little mistake, I may even feel a little more secure, because this incident may cause Mercy to have better security measures in place in order to not let this happen again...this is one thing to consider for the future... "




yogiman wrote on Sep 12, 2009 7:35 PM:

" Accidents happen. Oops,,, I mean in-hospital accidents. How, and why. did those babies get separated from their mothers.

Were they of boy and girl and that is how the mistake was determined?

It will be a memory for those children. Maybe they can laugh about it in the years to come. Or, if they learn of the other family, regret it was discovered.

Ah well, just a thought. "




Mandy wrote on Sep 12, 2009 7:25 PM:

" Sure the hospital protocol should not allow any room for such an error, but these two mothers carried these infants for 9 months and neither mother knew instantly that they were holding the wrong baby! "




Not Impressed wrote on Sep 12, 2009 5:21 PM:

" I also had great care when my kids were born but COME ON!! There was horrible neglect on the staffs part. There was way more that one protocal step broken. I can see the switch, baby being laid in the wrong crib. But for it not to be caught right away and to be discharged!! And one baby was nursed my another mother!! My heart goes out to the families and I hope this never happens again!!! "




Lucille wrote on Sep 12, 2009 4:51 PM:

" You mean they didn't have bracelets on the babies with the correct names? I hope they made foot prints immediately after birth so they are absolutely sure all the babies are with their natural mothers. These procedures are in place in our hospital here. I don't see how a mistake could possibly be made when a baby has his own name and sex on a bracelet around his tiny wrist. "




Mary wrote on Sep 12, 2009 3:15 PM:

" From what I heard a couple days ago, sounds like they need more help in the emergency room also!!! Aren't there enough qualified workers in the area? Where is management? "




eastern Montana wrote on Sep 12, 2009 1:51 PM:

" The fact of under-staffing and overwork in today's economic climate is real. The ones so indignant must have no experience in such conditions.

It's intolerable now, but Obamacare will take care of any perceived problem with rationing and loss of medical professionals. "




afton wrote on Sep 12, 2009 1:06 PM:

" I have a friend who works at a nursing home. She has told me many times about how understaffed they are in every area of the medical field. It seems that health coverage and such keep going up, but where is the money going? If health care has to be so expensive, then we deserve the best care. One mistake like this could change everything for families. Sometimes mistakes just can not be made. If you had a baby here and it turned out good, then great. One moms experiance doesn't reflect others. "




Joy wrote on Sep 12, 2009 12:33 PM:

" Just one more reason to have a home or birth center birth if you are a healthy, low-risk mom...which most of us are!! "




babiladi wrote on Sep 12, 2009 11:06 AM:

" Good reason to give birth in a freestanding birth Center.. you Never get the babies mixed up because the baby NEVER leaves the mother's presence. "




just wondering wrote on Sep 12, 2009 10:50 AM:

" What I am wondering is why the mothers did not notice they had the wrong babies!! Did they not look at their new babies? A mother knows their child! "




Iva wrote on Sep 12, 2009 10:19 AM:

" I have given birth to 4 children and i would know immediately if they brought me the wrong baby. Just another reason for delivering your baby at home. "




DB wrote on Sep 12, 2009 10:06 AM:

" "Tragedy", "mental anguish, pain & suffering"...Really? Who exactly was harmed? "Look into the legal aspects"...Who was damaged? This should not have happened but everyone involved is safe and sound. I think we'd be a more productive and less anxious society if we spent more time in reality and less time creating drama. "




lmt wrote on Sep 12, 2009 7:45 AM:

" I have to comment that this is an horrible situation to have happened. The hospital should own up to it and review procedure. I also have to say, that being a member of the health care world, that no matter how much policy and procedure is in place, we are human. The high and mighty people that want to sue for every mistake need to take a breath and realize the human element in all of this. Put yourself in both sets of shoes. That nurse/s have to live with what happened and not one of us goes into this profession to screw up. High census and low staffing due to budget cuts are a reality everywhere!!! Be your own advocate and at the same time, realize that health professionals are doing the best they can with the limited resources they have. I am happy this story turned out well. I am no longer living in ND, but feel for this rural community. "




Fellow Nurses of another Hospital wrote on Sep 12, 2009 1:42 AM:

" Yea sure, it is inexcusable, but it happened, problem has been taken care of and it is being addressed. How do you all think that the personnel who made this mistake feels. Try walking a mile in their shoes at this time. For all of those feel that Mercy Hospital did a bad thing, this is one bad thing---nobody ever recognizes the good that people do. For those of you choosing to complain about the service at Mercy Hospital, I bet they were there for you in your time of need or youremergency that you had and had to use their services--they were good enough for you then and they should continue to be good enough for you NOW!!!! "




Marie wrote on Sep 12, 2009 12:45 AM:

" It would seem someone did not follow hospital protocol during the discharge of the infant...probably the baby's nurse. Usually baby bands are checked to see if they match the one on the mother. Whatever went wrong the hospital needs to look into their infant security and discharge policies. This should never happen. "




Wow wrote on Sep 11, 2009 9:33 PM:

" Something like this shouldn't happen in such a small hospital. I want to know when they are going to start implementing drug and alcohol testing on a regular basis of the doctor and nursing staff. As far as I know the nurses are not drug tested.

Something to look into I think along with their so called policies and procedures. I have gave birth to one child at Mercy Hospital and one child in another small town in ND. This was not the best experience for me at Mercy, but loved the other hospital and was treated exceptionally there. "




An OB Nurse wrote on Sep 11, 2009 7:43 PM:

" I am an OB RN in NJ, babies and moms are banded before they leave the room at birth and footprinted,and are supposed to be identified each time they are brought back in from the nursery or a procedure. When they are discharged, the ID form has the mom's bracelet and one of the baby's bands affixed to it and is then signed by the mom at discharge. The other band stays on the baby for the mom to take off at home. The bands have the sex,last name,mom's name and date and time of birth on them.........amazing this still happens....... "




kathy wrote on Sep 11, 2009 1:20 PM:

" It's great they found out but how many times has this happened that no one ever new? Frightening. "




Bo Pho Sho wrote on Sep 11, 2009 11:31 AM:

" I don't think the "ya'll look alike" joke works here, huh? "




Previous Patient wrote on Sep 11, 2009 10:25 AM:

" I have been a patient at the OB ward have had both of my children there and was treated with great respect while there. The Nurses work hard but are truly understaffed! I know that while I was there that they were constantly running from one patient to the next. I have heard that they are kinda going through a mini baby boom there right now and I am sure that staffing has not improved. I do believe it was an honest mistake and that it will not happen again. I feel for the families and am very happy that it turned out the way it did. I am positive that the nursing staff feels extremely bad that this happened and that they will work even harder to not let it happen again. I know that the policies are always fallowed for discharge for this reason but when understaffed it makes it hard to fallow them all the time because they are being told to rush it along. Mercy Hospital Needs to take some of this blame for this reason but I am sure that the Nurse who signed the discharge papers will get the full blame which I think is incorrect! "




Go Coyotes wrote on Sep 11, 2009 9:10 AM:

" They need to have someone at the exit checking the babies. Like person at Sams Club that checks the receipts. "




Community Member wrote on Sep 11, 2009 12:03 AM:

" WOW! Something like this should NEVER happen! Mercy Hospital should fire the personnel involved. The mental anguish, pain & suffering as well as basic patient security issues needs to be addressed. I hope that the families look into the legal aspects surrounding this event. "




Kelly Untersher wrote on Sep 10, 2009 7:48 PM:

" I would like to comment on the fact that I don't see why Mercy hospital won't comment o their protocol. What it sounds like that is a good way for them to cover their own butt. I feel that if it happend they should be honest about it. It really makes me real safe going to this Hospital. When the can't even own up for their mistakes. "




Phillip wrote on Sep 10, 2009 5:56 PM:

" I think this happened to me when I was born. "




Go figure wrote on Sep 10, 2009 2:15 PM:

" Yeah! Mercy had the babies back with their mothers within a hour of discharge, but fail to mention that the mothers had both babies all morning long!! And when one mother noticed the little differences, the nurse tells her it's normal!!! Come on now, seriously! My heart goes out to both mothers and their families. "




Concerned Citizen wrote on Sep 10, 2009 2:01 PM:

" What a tragedy these two families have gone through! This is something that shouldn't have happened and something a new mom shouldn't have gone through! So what is Mercy going to do out about it, so it never happens again?! What is Mercy going to do to accomandate these two families?! I'm glad the babies are both doing great and are back with their right mothers!! I'd say Mercy should pay up!!!! "




Kay wrote on Sep 10, 2009 12:43 PM:

" I would have thought a hospital the size of Mercy shouldn't have issues like this! If they handled 20-30 births a week like larger cities I could MAYBE understand it - - - but this is unexcusable! "




c wrote on Sep 10, 2009 10:52 AM:

" Chalk another one up for our great hospital facility we have here in Williston. Good job. "

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