COON RAPIDS, Minn. — A Buffalo man currently on a ventilator cannot be taken off life support, a judge ruled Thursday.
According to a court order filed in Anoka County on Jan. 13, District Court Judge Jennifer Stanfield ruled that Mercy Hospital is temporarily barred from turning off Scott Quiner's ventilator.
A GoFundMe started to help with the family's medical bills says Quiner, of Buffalo, tested positive for COVID-19 in October and was initially admitted to Waconia Hospital. The page says Quiner was put on a ventilator and transferred to the Mercy ICU on Nov. 6, where he's currently hospitalized.
The next hearing in the case is slated for Feb. 11, 2022. If the plaintiff, in this case Scott's wife Anne Quiner, who's acting as his care agent, doesn't proceed with a temporary injunction, the court will dissolve the temporary restraining order.
For the Feb. 11 hearing, Judge Stanfield ordered the plaintiff, Quiner, and defendant, Mercy Hospital, to prepare to discuss the legal authority for taking a patient off life support in Minnesota.
According to court documents, Anne Quiner attempted to file a request for the temporary restraining order yesterday, but a judge's clerk told KARE 11 that Quiner and her attorney didn't file necessary documentation.
In that document, Quiner said she was in the process of finding a new facility to care for her husband but needs more time. Quiner said doctors at Mercy Hospital told her they planned to turn off her husband's ventilator on Jan. 13, an action she was against, according to the document.
In a statement shared with KARE 11, Allina Health said the hospital is "unable to comment on specific patient care," but "will follow the court's order in this case."
Read Allina Health's full statement below:
"Allina Health respects the privacy of its patients and is unable to comment on specific patient care. We will follow the court’s order in this case and continue to work through the legal process. In the meantime, our care teams remain committed to providing exceptional care to all our patients based on the best medical science and treatments for a patient’s medical condition. We continue to focus on our patients and meeting the critical care needs of the community as we all navigate this challenging time together."
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