A Buchanan County jury has ruled against Heartland/Mosaic in a wrongful death lawsuit.

James Sullwold of St. Joseph filed a personal injury malpractice suit in 2015 against Heartland Regional Medical Center/Mosaic Life Care, on behalf of his late wife, Lois Sullwold.  Monday, jurors decided against the hospital and awarded Sullwold more than $7.2 million in punitive damages.

Tuesday night Mosaic Life Care released a statement and said it plans to appeal the verdict. Here is the statement in its entirety:

“Every day, the nurses and doctors at Mosaic Life Care provide high-quality, compassionate care for our patients. Our safety standards have been recognized nationally by government entities such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services with a Five-Star Quality Rating, Truven and Healthgrades. Our employees adhere to rigorous training to keep up to date on the latest in health-care education.

As reported, Mosaic Life Care was notified of a plaintiff verdict in a trial with a former patient. Mosaic Life Care will be filing an appeal based on extenuating circumstances surrounding the case.

We take patient safety and quality care seriously and will continue our strong commitment to safety measures. Our employees have our highest confidence and we are proud of their dedication to the communities they serve every day.”