Ontario’s coroner has launched an inquest into the death of a young Indigenous woman who died in a Niagara Region emergency waiting room almost two and half years ago.
Heather Winterstein collapsed on December 10, 2021 at St. Catharines Hospital, a day after going into the same emergency department seeking treatment for severe back pain.
Her mother, Francine Shimizu, told St. Catharines city councillors last June that Winterstein was sent home with painkillers and a sandwich on Dec. 9, only to return with similar pain the next day.
An initial investigation revealed the cause of 24-year-old Winterstein’s death from Necrotizing Fasciitis, a type of infection that is preventable if treated properly.
However, Shimizu said she had been waiting almost a year and a half to learn the circumstances around Heather’s death from Niagara Region, the province’s Ministry of Health and Ontario Coroner’s Office.
“I want to grieve for my daughter, who was so beautiful and special to me, but I cannot without the conclusive answers that most cases receive,” Shimizu told the council.
“I do not understand why it is taking so long for the conclusions of the investigations and the reports outlining what happened to my daughter.”
The Ministry did reveal it was investigating the matter but had not yet shared any information with the family or the Chief Coroner for Ontario.
An independent panel, commissioned by Niagara Health which runs St. Catharines Hospital, suggested last summer that Winterstein’s care may have been “compromised” because she was Indigenous.
The review, led by Dr. Eric Letovsky of Trillium Health Partners, admitted that was “difficult to determine” since few front-line staff participated in the review.
“However, there was concern that unconscious bias may have played a role in her care because she was labeled as experiencing both addiction and homelessness,” the panel concluded.
Ten recommendations for improvement included more “cultural awareness” among staff and working with the Indigenous community to promote a more safe and welcoming environment.
A date and location for the inquest has not been announced, but the coroner’s office says it will examine the circumstances surrounding Winterstein’s death.
Jill Shimizu-Wilson, Winterstein’s aunt and spokesperson for the family, said in a statement Thursday the family is “relieved” that “a formal and impartial” inquest is being undertaken.
“Heather’s story needs to be told and understood both medically and in its full context to guide systems to embrace measures of prevention of Indigenous inequality,” Shimizu-Wilson said.
“An inquest is an important step in understanding Heather’s experience and in the process of reconciliation.”
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