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MaineHealth, a nonprofit health care system operating in Maine and New Hampshire, mistakenly sent condolence letters to 531 living patients, erroneously declaring them deceased. The letters, which included information on how next of kin could resolve the patients' estates, were sent due to a computer error in the system that generates estate vendor letters.
According to a report by WKRC, the patients were not listed as deceased in the health system's medical records. MaineHealth has sent apology letters to all affected individuals, expressing sincere regret for the mistake.
In a statement, a spokesperson for MaineHealth explained that the error occurred on October 20 and emphasized that the issue has been fully resolved. The spokesperson reassured that at no time were the patients incorrectly marked as deceased in their medical records. The incident highlights the importance of accurate data management in health care systems to prevent such errors.
MaineHealth has taken steps to ensure similar mistakes do not happen in the future, although specific measures were not detailed in the available reports.