Page 9 - HOH

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 22 January 2022
Continued from Front at play: More people are citing cases of advanced day morning quarterback "I was in no distress at that
An average of almost in the hospital, and a high heart failure and cancer the ER, but everyone was point," Strukhoff said. "I was
144,000 people were in the number of health care that might have been di- really nice — even the oth- worried about clogging up
hospital in the U.S. with CO- workers are out with CO- agnosed earlier. er patients," Bawden said. "I the works in the emergency
VID-19 as of Tuesday, the VID-19, worsening staffing Mike Bawden, a 59-year- think it's important for folks room and taking up a spot
highest level on record, ac- shortages that existed well old marketing consultant to realize that nobody's for other people."
cording to the Centers for before the pandemic. with a history of blood clots the villain." Craig Cooper, Christopher King, a spokes-
Disease Control and Pre- As of Wednesday, roughly in his lungs, said he couldn't a Genesis spokesman, de- man for Northwestern Med-
vention. Hospitals in a few 23% of hospitals nationwide get an appointment to see clined to comment on any icine, declined to com-
states such as New York were reporting critical staff his doctor in Davenport, individual cases. But he ment on Strukhoff's care
and Connecticut that ex- shortages, Pollack said. Iowa, because his cough- said in an email: "We are because of privacy laws.
perienced early omicron Many people are also un- ing symptoms were too sim- not exempt from the chal- But he confirmed that wait
surges are starting to see an able or unwilling to seek ilar to COVID-19. The doc- lenges medical centers times were higher than nor-
easing of the patient load, care for symptoms that do tor's office was concerned across the United States mal throughout the hospital
but many other places are not seem like emergen- about the virus spreading are experiencing because system, as they are across
overwhelmed. cies, he said. Pollack said to others. of significant impact from the country.
Hospitals say the COVID-19 that has led to delays in di- After nearly two weeks, COVID. We urge individuals Strukhoff said that once he
patients aren't as sick as agnosing conditions such Bawden went to a walk- to get vaccinated." got his own hospital room,
those during the last surge. as diabetes or high blood in clinic, which sent him to Strukhoff, who is a research- a colonoscopy revealed
And many of them are be- pressure that get worse the the emergency room at er for tech startups, said he the bleeding. Doctors
ing admitted for reasons longer they go untreated. Genesis Medical Center- arrived at Northwestern treated it by cauterizing a
other than COVID-19 and Dr. Claudia Fegan, chief East in Davenport. He said Medicine Kishwaukee Hos- vein. He then suffered the
only incidentally testing medical officer for Cook he waited almost six hours pital in DeKalb for what heart attack while he was
positive for the virus. County Health in Chicago, in an overflowing ER be- he suspected was internal recovering. He said it took
Rick Pollack, CEO and said some people, particu- fore he was seen. A scan bleeding. five hours for him to get into
president of the American larly older patients, have showed clots in his lungs, as He was diagnosed and giv- the ICU.
Hospital Association, said been avoiding checkups he suspected, and he was en a bed in the emergency "It's not something they
the surge has had a wide- and other routine care dur- prescribed blood thinners. room. He waited there for were set up to do, but
spread effect on the avail- ing the pandemic out of If not for the surge, Bawden six hours, feeling dizzy, be- they did it," Strukhoff said
ability of care for people fear of COVID-19. said, he would have gotten fore he was wheeled to of the doctors and nurs-
who have non-COVID-19 And as a result, "the pa- a scan much earlier at a his own room through hall- es who rose to the chal-
health problems. He said tients we're seeing now doctor's office. ways where people lay on lenge. "These people are
a number of factors are are much sicker," she said, "It's always so easy to Mon- stretchers. heroes."q

Alex Murdaugh now faces 71 charges; $8.5M stolen

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associ- Murdaugh took a $309,000
ated Press check he was supposed to
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — give to Hakeem Pinckney's
A once-prominent South family and instead bought
Carolina lawyer now faces money orders that went to
71 charges that he stole cover money he took from
nearly $8.5 million in wrong- the accounts of other cli-
ful death and wreck settle- ents, to pay down a loan
ments from more than a and get cash for himself
dozen people after an- and an unnamed family
other round of indictments member, according to the
against Alex Murdaugh indictment.
were handed up Friday. Then when Pinckney died
The 23 new charges issued in a nursing home from the
by the state grand jury cov- lingering effects of his inju-
ered new victims but similar ries, Murdaugh got an ad-
schemes, prosecutors said. ditional $89,000 settlement
Murdaugh, 53, would ne- on Pinckney's behalf, but
gotiate settlement money deposited that check in his
for his clients without telling account without ever tell-
them what they earned, ing the man's family, pros-
then deposit the checks ecutors said.
meant to pay for their pain prosecutors said. years of drug addiction. Murdaugh is the fourth The lawyer for the Pinckney
and suffering or the anguish Murdaugh has been in jail Murdaugh's professional generation of a prominent family said the transactions
of the death of a loved one since October for the ev- career began to unravel legal family in tiny Hamp- are complex and hard
into his own personal ac- er-growing list of breach after his 52-year-old wife, ton County. His great- to follow and even more
counts — paying off loans of trust, forgery, money Maggie, and 22-year-old grandfather, grandfather money may have been
or debts or in ways pros- laundering and computer son, Paul, were killed in and father were all elected stolen. Prosecutors have
ecutors have not detailed. crime charges. A judge set a shooting at the family's prosecutors and his family suggested at Murdaugh's
The new indictments ex- his bail at $7 million and re- home in June. Murdaugh's helped run the biggest law bond hearing that they still
tend Murdaugh's crimes fused to reduce it, even as lawyers have adamantly firm in the county for a cen- haven't gotten to the bot-
back more than a decade Murdaugh's lawyer argued said he had nothing to do tury. tom of his shady practices.
to 2011 and add a new his bank accounts were with it and repeatedly said Friday's indictments include Pinckney was Black,
mystery. Several of them seized in civil lawsuits and they hope investigators charges for Murdaugh's and most of the people
said Murdaugh used mon- he could barely afford to are working as hard to find handling of the aftermath Murdaugh stole from were
ey orders given to an un- buy underwear at the Rich- their killers as they are un- of a wreck that caused a like him — minorities and
named family member to land County jail. He has tangling Alex Murdaugh's deaf man to end up quad- not well off, family attorney
get his hands on the cash, blamed his problems on finances. riplegic. Justin Bamberg said.q