Underwood passes review
The Gloucester County hospital where two first-time mothers gave birth shortly before they died was in compliance with state licensing standards, according to a review by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
The Gloucester County hospital where two first-time mothers gave birth shortly before they died was in compliance with state licensing standards, according to a review by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
The state sets standards for such things as staffing, anesthesia and critical care. Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury had no deficiencies in March and April, a health department spokeswoman said yesterday.
Valerie Scythes, 35, of Woodbury, died March 28. Melissa Farah, 28, of Oaklyn, died April 12. Both women delivered healthy infants by cesarean section. Both also happened to teach at Avon Elementary School in Barrington.
Todd S. Miller, the Allentown, Pa., lawyer representing the Farah family, said yesterday that the state's review does not address the question of whether the deaths resulted from medical error. Miller said he is awaiting an autopsy report.
The Scythes' attorney, John Baldante of Philadelphia, could not be reached yesterday. - Marie McCullough