What to know about the inquest

It’s Day 12 of the Ontario coroner’s inquest for Heather Winterstein, a 24-year-old who died of sepsis in the St. Catharines hospital.

The Indigenous woman first sought care on Dec. 9, 2021, for body pain from a fall. She was sent home with Tylenol and told to return if her condition worsened. The next day, she waited more than two hours in the ER for a doctor before collapsing.

Medical staff worked for hours to keep her alive. She died the evening of Dec. 10.

Family, friends and a family physician have all said they believe racism and bias affected the quality of care Winterstein received.

Yesterday, the inquest heard testimony from officials with Niagara Health, which oversees the hospital, which was renamed Marotta Family Hospital in 2024.

Lynn Guerriero, the regional health authority’s president and CEO, told the inquest she was “struggling” to point to anti-Indigenous racism as a factor in Winterstein’s death, as front-line staff repeatedly told her over the years that they didn’t know the patient’s background.

However, Guerriero acknowledged, “There’s absolutely systemic racism and Indigenous racism in health care.” 

Earlier yesterday, a patient who was in the ER at the same time as Winterstein gave an emotional account about what she witnessed.

“She was crying out loud, moaning, in pain,” said Sheryl Hutton. “At first, it was really loud. It got quieter and quieter. Towards the end, it was almost a whimper.”

The inquest, which began on March 30, continues Thursday and is expected to conclude this week, with final arguments likely early next week.

The coroner’s jury is tasked with determining the facts and may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths. They don’t assign blame or make findings of guilt or innocence.