Edith Rodriguez

Edith Isabel Rodriguez was a woman who died of gastrointestinal perforation at the Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital (King-Harbor) in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, after being refused treatment by hospital staff. Staff believed that her pain was due to a gallstone attack and thus did not believe she required urgent medical care. Rodriguez's situation became a cause célèbre about the failures and bureaucratic indifference of both King-Harbor as well as political and health leaders in the Los Angeles area, creating or reinforcing fears that the health care system will not take care of people in a time of dire need. The Rodriguez case resulted in press coverage on national news networks such as CNN and CBS News.