On Monday, Yale University reached a settlement with dozens of patients who had filed lawsuits alleging that they endured excruciating pain during egg retrieval procedures at its fertility clinic. This distressing situation arose after a nurse at the clinic secretly replaced anesthesia with saline solution, leading to significant suffering among the patients.
The specific amount of the settlement has not been disclosed; however, attorneys representing the plaintiffs described it as “substantial.” In previous court filings, they had proposed a settlement of approximately $2 million for each individual affected.
“This mutual agreement allows both parties to move forward and begin healing,” stated Karen Peart, a spokesperson for Yale University.
The settlement involves 93 patients who were treated at the Yale Fertility Center in 2020. Many of their harrowing experiences were highlighted in The Retrievals, a widely acclaimed podcast produced by Serial Productions and The New York Times in 2023.
In their lawsuits, these patients described the egg retrievals—brief surgical procedures typically performed with fentanyl as an anesthetic—as intensely agonizing. Numerous individuals reported that their concerns were raised with Yale personnel, but their complaints were largely dismissed.
Unbeknownst to the patients, a nurse suffering from addiction had tampered with the clinic’s supply of fentanyl, replacing much of it with a saline solution. An investigation conducted by Yale revealed that between June and October 2020, approximately 75 percent of the fentanyl administered to patients had either been diluted or completely substituted with saline.
The nurse involved, Donna Monticone, was sentenced in May 2021 to four weekends of incarceration and three months of house arrest for her actions.
In a related matter, Yale University agreed to pay $308,000 in 2022 to settle an investigation by the Department of Justice, which examined the university’s failure to secure its fentanyl supply adequately. Furthermore, an audit by the Drug Enforcement Administration identified over 600 discrepancies in the facility’s record-keeping concerning controlled substances like fentanyl and ketamine.
Other healthcare institutions have encountered similar legal challenges regarding stolen fentanyl. Recently, the families of 16 patients who died at an Oregon hospital filed a lawsuit against the facility, citing a lack of safeguards that allowed a nurse to replace fentanyl with tap water. These patients tragically passed away after contracting bacterial infections stemming from the unfiltered water.
The distressing experiences of patients at Yale gained renewed attention thanks to The Retrievals. This five-part podcast featured firsthand accounts from patients who reported screaming in agony during their procedures and who felt their complaints were not taken seriously by their healthcare providers.
“The women in this case were absolutely insistent that there would be no monetary settlement until the university had addressed all the problems that resulted in this occurring,” remarked Joshua Koskoff, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs.
In response to the crisis, Yale University has implemented significant changes within its fertility clinic, establishing “rigorous processes, procedures, and safeguards” to prevent similar incidents in the future, according to Ms. Peart. These improvements include enhanced staff training and the appointment of a new medical director for the facility.
