BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A widower is taking PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center to court following the death of his wife.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Western Washington last Friday, June 5 against PeaceHealth’s facilities in Bellingham, WA and Ketchikan.
Court documents state that 62-year-old Kathleen Zamudio began experiencing severe chest pain in June 2024.
Doctors in Ketchikan initially diagnosed her as having a heart attack and consulted with a cardiologist in Bellingham to discuss her lab results. The Bellingham doctor requested that Zamudio be transferred to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center.
Her condition worsened as she was being prepared for a transfer, and by the time she arrived in Bellingham, the only available heart surgeon was working on another patient.
She passed away 12 hours after arriving back at the Ketchikan hospital, with her cause of death listed as an aortic dissection.
Samuel Zamudio’s lawsuit alleges several missteps in communication between the two facilities, particularly noting the decision to transfer his wife without preparing a surgeon for her arrival.
In addition to both medical centers, two Ketchikan doctors and the Bellingham cardiologist are listed as defendants in the case.
