Canvass – hospital employees
Detectives Armstrong and Murphy interviewed some of Dr. Smith's co-workers from Baptist Memorial Hospital to learn more about the relationships in the workplace.
The interviews summarized are some of the most typical or relevant to the investigation and are representative of all interviews conducted.
Heldt
Name: Autumn Heldt
Address: 3006 South Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS
Ms. Heldt is a nurse who works on the surgical floor at the hospital. Her job is to prep patients for procedures, make sure they are comfortable, and answer any questions they may have about what will happen before, during, and after their surgeries or procedures from a nursing perspective.
Heldt said she got along well with Dr. Smith but noted that several nurses didn't care for Smith at all. When pressed for names, Heldt said head surgical nurse Ruthie Foreman had made comments to fellow nurses implying that she thought it was ridiculous how everyone was supporting Smith after one of her patients died.
McGraw
Name: Felicia McGraw
Address: 429 Turnberry Court, Oxford, MS
Dr. McGraw is a gastroenterologist who, like Dr. Smith, sometimes performs procedures at Baptist Memorial. She had talked with Smith numerous times and felt they got along well.
McGraw said Smith had discussed the harassing text messages with her, and McGraw had asked Smith if she thought Ruthie Foreman might have been the one sending them. Smith said there was no way because she got along very well with Foreman.
McGraw was asked at this point if she would mind stepping into a private room for a one-on-one interview, and she agreed.
Osborne
Name: Frankie Osborne
Address: Unit 112, 1756 Jefferson, Oxford, MS
Mr. Osborne is a lab technician at the hospital.
Osborne described Dr. Smith as an overachiever and said she was dismissive with the nurses and assistants at the hospital. He said rumors were going around that some of the nurses may have sent anonymous text messages to Smith.
He said Smith was one of those doctors that patients loved, but people who had to work with her didn't. For co-workers, he said, Smith was one of those people you either liked or hated. There was no in-between. He added that everyone was upset to find out she had died but noted that most of the nurses wouldn't miss her.
Osborne said the person who was hurt the most by the malpractice suit against Smith, in his opinion, seemed to be assistant hospital administrator Dwight Kramer.
