HOUSTON — A former clinical director at Texas Children's Hospital claims she was fired for addressing the hospital's failure to activate its emergency response team during a winter storm.
Rebecca Schiff filed a complaint Dec. 12 in Harris County District Court against Texas Children's Hospital alleging retaliation and other claims.
Schiff, according to her complaint, began working for Texas Children's Hospital in 2007. She alleges that in October of 2019, she was promoted to assistant clinical director of the hospital's Pavilion for Women NICU. She claims that in February of 2021 during winter Storm Uri, the hospital failed to activate its emergency "Ride Out Team" as other Houston area hospitals did which caused her to face significant staffing shortages.
She further claims the hospital's failure to activate the Ride Out Team created dangerous and illegal conditions and endangered patients' lives. Schiff alleges that after expressing her concerns to management about the health and safety issues that took place during Winter Storm Uri she faced retaliation including termination on June 15, 2021.
Schiff seeks monetary relief between $250,000 and $1 million, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Rogge Dunn of The Rogge Dunn Group PC in Dallas.
Harris County District Court case number 2021-80784