More than 500 people received letters from MaineHealth expressing condolences and providing estate instructions
Maine’s largest healthcare system accidentally sent condolence letters to more than 500 living patients in effect informing them that they had died.
MaineHealth attributed the blunder to a computer system error and apologized.
The episode began on 20 October, when the non-profit integrated healthcare system operating across Maine and New Hampshire mailed letters to 531 patients expressing condolences and providing instructions for their next of kin on how to resolve their estates.
According to MaineHealth, an error with the computer system responsible for generating estate vendor letters caused the letters to inadvertently be issued.
