Woman’s death prompts 2 events

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) memorialized Edith Isabel Rodriguez on Saturday, calling the 43-year-old woman’s death in May at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital a “terrible loss” but proclaiming her troubled life a symbol for why the hospital should remain open.

It was the first time Waters, one of the hospital’s fiercest defenders, had spoken publicly about Rodriguez, who died from a perforated bowel May 9 after writhing unattended for 45 minutes on the lobby floor of the King-Harbor emergency room.

Standing before a poster-sized photograph of Rodriguez flanked by day lilies and carnations, Waters led a crowd of 200 hospital supporters in “tribute to a very special woman who has caused us all to focus again on that institution we have all worked so hard to save.” The crowd held lighted candles aloft while a vocalist sang “Amazing Grace.”

Meanwhile, about a mile away, about 20 of Rodriguez’s relatives -- four sisters, five brothers and a dozen or more nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews -- and leaders of a handful of African American and Latino community groups gathered at the hospital. They called for Los Angeles County to fire or prosecute nurses and other hospital workers who ignored Rodriguez that day. At least two sisters said they wanted to see the county-owned hospital closed.

Six staff members -- including a nurse and two nursing assistants -- saw or walked past the dying woman but did not help her, according to a county report. They received letters of discipline outlining how they should behave in the future.

Linda Ruttlen, the triage nurse who allegedly rebuffed Rodriguez’s pleas for help, was placed on administrative leave after Rodriguez’s death and subsequently resigned.

Her lawyer said last week that his client denies the accusations against her.

Waters said Saturday that “a triage nurse who has since resigned utilized poor judgment and assumed that Ms. Rodriguez, who had been treated earlier that day at the hospital, had returned and was faking pain and possibly in search of medication related to her drug abuse problem.”

Family members have said Rodriguez, a mother of three, had struggled with drug addiction.

“Edith Rodriguez was someone who represented the problems of our community,” Waters said as the crowd murmured agreement. “She certainly didn’t get the services she needed for her addiction problem. We need the kind of care that wouldn’t leave Ms. Rodriguez to seek care at the last minute in the ER.”

County supervisors considered closing King-Harbor after Rodriguez’s death but opted instead to give the beleaguered facility a reprieve as it prepares for a last-chance government inspection this month. King-Harbor, formerly known as Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, has been out of compliance with the federal government’s minimum patient care standards since 2004.

State regulators announced recently that they will seek to revoke King-Harbor’s license. If upheld, the action would force the hospital to close.

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mary.engel@latimes.com