Man dies in parking lot after hospital refuses to treat him, says his wife

A Missouri family is mourning the loss of David Alexander Bell, a beloved husband and father, whose wife says he died after the hospital he was taken to refused him care.

David Alexander Bell died after hospital reportedly refused him care

Bell, 39, died in the parking lot at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Peters during his third time at the hospital seeking medical treatment, his wife Sadie Bell told news station KMOV 4.

Bell’s wife told the news station the week of January 8 she took her husband to the ER twice, after he’d been complaining about severe chest pain.

Both times, Bell said medical staff refused to admit him, only prescribing him Ibuprofen. Then David, who was also the Director for Central County Fire, was rushed back to the same hospital after having difficulty breathing at work for a third time.

His wife’s account

“I called his fireman, because one of his firemen took him, I said, ‘Which hospital did you take him to?’ he said, ‘I went on and took him back to Barnes-Jewish because I know that’s where you all had been going.’ I said, ‘Oh, I just wish you wouldn’t have took him there.’ He said, ‘Why not?’ and I said, ‘Every time that we have taken him, all they did was give him Ibuprofen and sent him home, and I’m really thinking they missing something,’” Bell recalled.

When Bell got to the hospital she said her husband was sitting outside in a wheelchair. After begging doctors to run tests and admit him, she said they refused.

“He said, ‘ma’am he’s already been here twice for the same thing and we’ve already diagnosed him,’” Bell said. From there she said she was preparing to take him to another hospital but it was too late.

“We got halfway to the car and he said, ‘Oh Sadie.’ And I said, ‘Baby what’s wrong?’” she said. Bell said her husband took his last breath in the parking lot and a good Samaritan tried giving David CPR.

Bell believes her husband received lack of treatment because doctors and staff dismissed him.

Statistics

National medical reports show African Americans often have higher mortality rates because they don’t receive the same health care as their white counterparts.

“I don’t know what they thought and I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t help him,” Bell said.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), Black Americans’ mortality rate is 24% higher than white Americans. One of the main contributing factors the AMA points out is that doctors are not addressing pain levels from black patients.

The news station reached out to Barnes Jewish for a comment. Due to privacy laws they said they could not share details on David Bell’s case. They did, however, sent a statement saying: “Our thoughts are with the family after this loss, as well as with the entire Central County Fire & Rescue team.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asked gor donations via GoFundMe.