A man in upstate New York recently requested reimbursement from Bon Secours Hospital for new dentures for his wife, who had lost her old ones while in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Bryan, who requested anonymity to protect his family’s privacy, said he had been caring for his wife full-time since January. “It’s been sleepless nights, stressful, and demanding, but it’s been worth it,” he said.
In July, his wife’s condition improved, and Brian took her to Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in downtown Greenville for a second opinion. After signing the admission paperwork, his wife was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU).
A few days later, when his wife was discharged, Brian discovered her dentures were missing. This had been more than 20 days. “She practically lived on protein shakes, and not having dentures meant she couldn’t get proper nutrition and was in a lot of pain,” Brian said.
He went to the dentist and got a quote for new dentures, which cost about $2,200. “We simply couldn’t afford to have them replaced at the hospital,” Brian said, frustrated. He had been off work since January because he was busy caring for his wife.
Brian contacted Bon Secours Hospital to inquire about the cost, but the hospital replied that the admission documents he signed clearly stated that the hospital was not responsible for lost personal belongings, including dentures. The hospital was willing to pay $500 as “goodwill compensation.”
Brian was upset: “This is completely unacceptable. A cell phone or earrings are easy to replace, but dentures are expensive.”
Fox Carolina Investigates contacted Bon Secours Hospital, and a hospital spokesperson said in an email: “We are committed to providing the best care for every patient, but out of respect for patient privacy and regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), we cannot discuss individual cases.”
While his wife’s dentures were never found, Brian found someone else’s wound pump in his hospital bag after returning home. It had his wife’s full name and room number written on it and had a retail value of approximately $1,400.
He worried that the patient might need to buy a new set and that someone else might have mistakenly taken his wife’s dentures and related information.
Josh Christian, an attorney at Christian and Christian in Greenville, said such incidents are not uncommon in large hospital systems.
He noted, “It’s shocking how many issues that could have been easily resolved were not handled smoothly because of gaps in hospital procedures or systems.”
He recommends carefully reading all signed documents and promptly reporting any issues to the nurse, doctor, or hospital.
Bryan said that after several weeks without dentures, his wife’s doctor recommended that she see a dietitian because the lack of dentures restricted her food intake. “This is crucial, as malnutrition could exacerbate her condition,” Brian said.
