Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
The family of U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson announced a settlement of its lawsuit charging Baylor, Scott & White with medical negligence.
In addition to a monetary settlement, Baylor Scott & White will rename a nursing scholarship program in her name. The settlement amount was not announced, but medical malpractice awards are capped at $500,000 for hospitals in Texas.
In a statement, the hospital system said, “Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was a friend and champion in the communities we serve — she is an inspiration to all. It has long been our priority to help her life’s work live on. Working with her family, we are pleased to name a nursing scholarship program in her honor.”
Johnson was in rehab at Baylor, Scott & White recovering from back surgery. A surgical scar became infected after she repeatedly called for help but no one responded and she was left laying in her own urine and feces.
The infection became so bad, Johnson was transferred to a skilled nursing facility on Oct. 18 but didn’t improve. She was sent home of Dec. 18 for hospice care and died on Dec. 31 at the age of 89.
Johnson was the first nurse elected to Congress. She served 18 terms representing Oak Lawn, downtown Dallas and southern Dallas County. At the time of her retirement she was chair of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, the first woman from Texas to chair a congressional committee.
— David Taffet