ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — The estate of Steven Drotleff, a Ross County Magistrate who passed away in 2021, has filed a lawsuit against Adena Health System. The estate is seeking $75,000 from the healthcare provider, citing medical negligence, wrongful death, and the destruction of evidence, according to court documents obtained by the Guardian.
The complaint, filed last month, alleges that two doctors, Dr. Kerry Bellew and Dr. Christopher Skocik of Adena Family Medicine, failed to provide Magistrate Drotleff with proper medical care, ultimately contributing to his death.
On August 25, 2021, Drotleff contacted Adena Family Medicine to schedule an appointment due to severe abdominal pain and discomfort. During the appointment, doctors noted that Drotleff was sweating profusely and had a high heart rate and low blood pressure. However, the doctors did not order any tests to help determine the cause of Drotleff’s symptoms, according to the lawsuit. The following day, Drotleff was found unresponsive at his home and was later pronounced dead. The cause of his death was reported as “hypovolemia caused by an acute gastrointestinal bleed.”
The lawsuit claims that the two doctors failed to investigate the cause of Drotleff’s condition, ultimately leading to his death. An attorney for Drotleff’s estate has stated that Adena also failed to provide medical records and bills when requested multiple times over the past two years.
Adena has yet to respond to the court filings, according to a public records inquiry. This latest development is part of a long list of recent issues plaguing the health system. Adena Health System currently faces ongoing lawsuits from former physicians and multiple sexual harassment cases.
