Hospital fires employee after viral video shows mother giving birth in waiting room

Hospital fires worker after mother's waiting room birth

A Dallas-area woman is seeking answers after she was forced to give birth in a hospital waiting room, an event captured in a viral video, leading the facility to fire the employee seen delaying care.

MESQUITE, Texas - A Dallas-area woman who gave birth in a hospital waiting room last month is seeking answers after a viral video showed her screaming in pain as a staff member appeared slow to assist her during active labor, her attorney tells FOX 4.

Delivery in waiting room

What we know:

Kiara Jones delivered her son on November 11 inside the waiting room of Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite. 

Video recorded by her mother captures Jones crying out, unable to sit still, and telling a hospital employee she is in intense labor. When the staffer asks, "When’s your due date?" Jones screams back, "Right now!"

Attorney Sarah Raisch, who represents Jones, said the mother waited more than 30 minutes before giving birth roughly 12 minutes after the video was recorded.

Raisch said her office sent a letter last week to the hospital’s CEO, chief nursing officer and general counsel requesting a meeting, but said they have not responded. The firm is seeking an explanation and assurances that similar incidents will not occur in the future.

Attorney demands answers

Local perspective:

"If you’ve seen the video, it’s clear she’s in a great deal of pain and in the end stages of labor," Raisch said. 

"She ends up delivering in the waiting room because they refused to provide her with medical care, even though she was clearly experiencing a major medical event."

Raisch demands answers regarding her client.

"Why was she left in the reception area and not treated when she was clearly in active labor? What is the hospital doing to make changes? How are they going to avoid this happening again?"

What's next:

Jones and her newborn are now home and recovering. Raisch said no lawsuit has been filed, but the family intends to pursue compensation and hopes the incident will spur legislative changes surrounding maternal emergency care.

Hospital says employee fired

What they're saying:

In a statement released to FOX 4 on Tuesday, Dallas Regional Medical Center said the staff member seen interacting with Jones "did not reflect our values or uphold our standards and is no longer employed" at the facility.

"The safety of our patients is always our top priority, and we are grateful for the high-quality, compassionate care our teams provide every day. We are deeply committed to honoring every patient and treating them with dignity."

The hospital said it has launched additional training for employees "in recognizing the signs of imminent delivery, empathy, and compassionate care, as well as bias training" to ensure staff uphold the hospital’s standards in every patient encounter.

"We take the actions seen in the video seriously," the statement continued. "Our commitment to our patients, their families, and the communities we serve guides every aspect of our work."

Family seeks reform

Dig deeper:

Two Texas state representatives met last week with Mesquite city leaders and hospital administrators after the video drew widespread attention online. Raisch said the family hopes the case drives meaningful reform.

"The wellness of mothers and babies is something everyone should care about," Raisch said. 

"We’re seeking accountability. We’re seeking justice. We’re seeking change. We’re seeking transparency."