WILLMAR -- Three weeks after a medical records employee was fatally injured at Rice Memorial Hospital, on-site investigations into the accident are continuing.
Sue Leukam, 51, was severely injured Nov. 23 when she was caught in an automated filing system. She died Nov. 26 at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Investigators have been able to piece together what happened but are still trying to pin down the details, said Lorry Massa, chief executive of the city-owned hospital.
"We're still digging into the hows," he said.
A representative of the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration was at the hospital on Tuesday, Massa said. Workers compensation investigators and a representative from the filing equipment manufacturer are scheduled to visit the hospital today.
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The hospital also is waiting for a final report on the Willmar Police Department's investigation.
Massa, who met last week with Leukam's family, said the hospital is still struggling to come to grips with her death.
"She was a great employee who really enjoyed her work here at Rice and made an impact," he said.
Some tentative discussions have been held on how to memorialize her, possibly with a scholarship or in some other way, he said.
It has been a difficult time for Leukam's co-workers and for the hospital as a whole, he said.
"We are very committed to having a safe hospital for patients and for employees. This shakes your confidence."
