Hospital found liable after patient kills wife

A Des Moines hospital is going to have to pay for failing to notify a woman who was later murdered by a man released from the hospital. Gerald Long was taken to Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines for psychiatric treatment, and his wife, Jillene, asked to be notified if he was discharged. Shortly after being released from the hospital, Gerald shot and killed his estranged wife at their home, but neither the hospital nor Long’s doctor had called to warn her Long was being released. A jury ruled the hospital should pay big bucks, but the hospital appealed. The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled the punitive one-million dollar award from the jury should be set aside, but the court ruled Broadlawns officials got a fair trial, should have warned Jill, as she asked, and should be required to pay some damages to Jill’s estate. The matter of how big that check will be is to be decided by a district court.