On March 18th, Lauri Mazurkiewicz, a nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, sent an email to fellow employees warning that the hospital’s masks were unsafe for treating patients with COVID-19. Despite servicing COVID-19 patients for several days, the hospital adopted a policy explicitly preventing some of its employees from wearing N95 respirators—which have been found to more effectively protect individuals from the coronavirus.

In her email, Ms. Mazurkiewicz recommended that coworkers use N95 respirators instead of the ineffective masks provided by the hospital. The hospital fired Ms. Mazurkiewicz the next day when she showed up to work wearing a respirator she brought from home. As Ms. Mazurkiewicz told The Chicago Tribune, she “just wanted to be a good nurse.”

The Blake Horwitz Law Firm has filed a lawsuit on Ms. Mazurkiewicz’s behalf alleging that Northwestern Memorial Hospital fired her in retaliation for speaking out about its practices that put both healthcare professionals and patients at risk. According to The Chicago Sun Times, Northwestern Memorial Hospital is currently “reviewing the complaint.”

If you or someone you know shares a similar story as Ms. Mazurkiewicz, contact The Blake Horwitz Law Firm at (312) 676-2100 or office@bhlfattorneys.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________

News reports on The Blake Horwitz Law Firm filing a whistleblower complaint on behalf of nurse against a Northwestern Memorial Hospital for providing inadequate personal protective equipment to treat COVID-19 patients:

• The Chicago Tribune, “Nurse says she was fired by Northwestern Memorial Hospital after warning co-workers that face masks being used were ineffective”
• The Chicago Sun Times, “Nurse says Northwestern Memorial fired her over wanting better face masks”
• The Washington Post, “As Coronavirus Spreads, So Do Reports of Companies Mistreating Workers”
• The Daily Herald, “Hospitals tell doctors they’ll be fired if they speak out about the lack of gear”
• The New York Times, “I Do Fear for My Staff, a Doctor Said. He Lost His Job”
• Reuters News, “Nurse says Chicago hospital fired her for warning about COVID-19 masks – lawsuit”
• NBC 5 Chicago, “Chicago Nurse’s Lawsuit Alleges She Was Fired For Warning About ‘Ineffective’ COVID-19 Masks”
• ABC 7 Chicago, “Nurse’s lawsuit alleges Northwestern Memorial Hospital fired her for warning about ‘ineffective’ COVID-19 masks”
• Fox 32 Chicago, “Lawsuit alleges nurse was fired for warning about ‘ineffective’ masks used for treating COVID-19”
• The Evanston Patch, “Nurse Fired After Warning Staff Of Coronavirus Mask Safety: Suit”
• The Associate Press, “Nurse Says Chicago Hospital Fired Her for Warning About Masks”
• Becker’s Hospital Review, “Nurse sues Northwestern Memorial, claims she was fired for warning about less effective face masks”
• Law360, “Nurse Allegedly Fired For Warning About COVID-19 Masks”
• ABA Journal, “As exposed health care workers seek legal remedies, who is liable for lack of personal protective equipment?”
• New York Daily News, “Health care workers warned they could lose jobs for speaking out amid coronavirus crisis”
• Chicago Crain Business, “Doctors and nurses beware: Hospitals are watching your Facebook”