ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO – The coroner’s inquest into the tragic death of Heather Winterstein, a 24-year-old Indigenous woman who died after collapsing in a hospital waiting room, is nearing its conclusion. Human rights activists and family members have pointed to the case as a stark example of how systemic racism and bias against those with substance use disorders can lead to fatal medical negligence. The inquest, which began on March 30, 2026, is currently examining final expert testimonies before the jury begins its deliberations later this week.
The court heard that on December 9, 2021, Winterstein visited the Marotta Family Hospital (formerly St. Catharines General) suffering from severe back pain following a fall. Dr. Emad Nour, the physician on duty, discharged her with a prescription for Tylenol after concluding she did not have an infection. Evidence presented this week revealed that Dr. Nour’s medical notes attributed her visit to “social issues,” highlighting her struggles with mental health and substance use. The following day, her condition deteriorated significantly. Despite returning to the hospital, she was left in the waiting room for hours without medical intervention, eventually collapsing. She later died of sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection that medical experts testified could have been successfully treated had it been identified during her first visit.
A fellow patient who was in the ER that day provided haunting testimony, stating that Winterstein “looked terrified” and was visibly struggling to control her body in a wheelchair while begging for help. The witness noted that Winterstein appeared discolored with a “blotchy rash” across her face and neck, yet a triage nurse reportedly “snapped sharply” at her when she spoke. Dr. Suzanne Shoush, a medical expert, testified on April 15 that systemic racism and implicit biases were “contributing factors” in the inadequate care Winterstein received, as her physical pain was dismissed as drug-seeking behavior.
Hospital staff, including triage nurse Andrea Demery, testified that the department was overwhelmed and understaffed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented them from following mandatory protocols such as reassessing patients every 15 minutes. Winterstein was not reassessed once during the two and a half hours she sat in the waiting room before her collapse. As the inquiry wraps up, her family—members of the Cayuga Nation—continues to call for mandatory cultural safety training and reformed triage protocols to ensure that a patient’s identity never again dictates the quality of their life-saving care.
