A coroner’s inquest into a woman who died at the Saint John Regional Hospital in 2020 began Monday.
Coroner Emily Caissy heard from social workers, other nurses and doctors at the hospital who all had interactions with Hillary Hooper, who was 27 then.
Hooper was found hanging by hospital staff nearly a month after she first checked herself in after consuming 50 pills an hour before. When she arrived at the Saint John Regional Hospital doors, she had a history of depression and attempted suicide.
Hospital staff categorized her as a level two, which is a high priority. She promptly met with social workers from Horizon Health Network, who met with Hooper, who was upset because she was out of work.
The social worker on the stand said she “wasn’t fully stabilized” after their initial meeting in mid-November 2020. The worker did safety training with Hooper and rescheduled her to a later date, during which the meeting did not happen.
The corner heard stories throughout the afternoon describing her time in the first hours of her visit to the hospital.
“Nobody takes me seriously,” said Hooper shortly after 8:00 pm on November 13th, 2020.
“I want to die.”
Mental Health Nurse Lauren Oulten described “intense emotions” as she took to the stand Monday afternoon. She recalled that Hooper was in “distress” following a meeting with a councillor earlier that afternoon.
Hooper told Oulten that she drove to Saint John Regional Hospital with intentions of overdosing at the site so her organs could be donated.
She had been planning the suicide since her last visit to the hospital a month prior. She told nurses she “always had a plan,” asking hospital staff, “why don’t you just kill me.”
Speaking to counsellors in the hospital reportedly didn’t make her feel any better. Staff placed her in 4D North, which is the hospital’s psychiatric unit.
Dr. Samir Talebb diagnosed her with borderline personality disorder, and he deemed her not safe to be discharged.
Michael Taylor, the then-nursing manager for the ward, said on the stand that she was set to be discharged weeks later. The hospital shifted from 15-minute checks to hourly checks on Hooper’s well-being. Staff found a contraband cellphone in Hooper’s room and a suicidal note in her notebook.
He said the staff generally doesn’t thoroughly search patients for cellphones, and the staff usually “just ask” them for it.
Taylor said that during the night shift, there are typically three staff members on hand between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Those who worked during her stay described Hooper as “pleasant,” but someone who often swore and told dirty jokes.
One registered nurse said that the day before she died, she was “quite anxious,” noting that she was called into Hooper’s room to talk to her twice.
Hooper told staff she had problems with her sleeping medication and had difficulty with the hospital-provided social worker. She told Sheryl Clarke that she was going to “see if I can find my own private council.”
Staff said that since that time, the doors had been cut down by eight inches on the top to monitor patients who may be thinking about taking their life.
The inquest continues through to Thursday.
Global News will continue to follow this story.
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