Kenna Says: Not Engaging in Accountability When Something Goes Wrong, is Pure Cowardice

Subject: Request for Urgent Conversation Regarding Patient Care Incident on April 24, 2026

To: Kyle Lathrop, Chief Legal Counsel, Northern Arizona Healthcare From: Malene Comes, Between Trust and Trauma

On April 24, 2026, at approximately 00:30, I went to Flagstaff Medical Center ED with pain in my left eye, with photo-sensitivity and significant redness. I rated my pain a “4 or 5” on a pain scale of 10. Ms. Brittany Blau, RN did my intake. During intake I noticed warning blocks in my chart — one yellow, one red. I am aware that I have a significant psychiatric history with FMC.

Approximately one hour later I reported a significant increase in pain. Ms. Brittany Blau came out to take my vitals again; I reported my pain to be an 8 on a pain scale of 10. I was then put in a room with a chair, and ignored for an additional 90 minutes before I saw a doctor.

A review of my records confirms the following: my initial heart rate was 114 bpm with a blood pressure of 172/111. When I reported my pain increase an hour later, my blood pressure was still at a hypertensive 160/103. These are not just vital signs — they are documented evidence of a physiological crisis that was ignored.

My reported increase in pain is partially noted in my chart, with discrepancies. The note is made by Ms. Rachel Kobbeman, RN — yet I believe it was Ms. Brittany Blau who took my vitals. The note does not reflect that I rated my pain at an 8. There is also no note that this increase in pain with sustained tachycardia was forwarded to either the charge nurse or a doctor. It took a doctor an additional 90 minutes to see me — with symptoms indicating a risk of permanent vision loss, severe pain, and tachycardia. That is not consistent with a 2–3 hour wait.

The doctor diagnosed a corneal abrasion. Four days later an ophthalmologist diagnosed a corneal ulcer — confirming potential for loss of vision.

It is my firm belief that psychiatric overshadowing delayed my treatment. While we are all fortunate there is no permanent vision loss, that was absolutely a risk given the delay. The presence of a psychiatric history should not slow down treatment — it should sensitize nurses to the potential additional needs of patients with mental health diagnoses.

I am not seeking financial compensation. My focus is improvement — but I will not be brushed off.

I request a conversation with the appropriate risk management or patient safety representative to discuss three specific issues:

• The exact nature of the warning boxes in my file — I have a right to know what they say
• Whether these warning boxes contributed to the failure to escalate my care
• What actions Flagstaff Medical Center will take to ensure psychiatric overshadowing does not happen again

I document these situations in detail. When this is said and done, I can either document that your organization was responsive and took appropriate action — or I can document copies of written complaints. I use the real names of those I complain about.

Malene Comes Between Trust and Trauma