ORANGE PARK, Fla. — A Middleburg mother says routine trauma care after a car crash spiraled into a life-threatening crisis.
It happened at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital.
She came forward after an Action News Jax report earlier this month on a Jacksonville woman whose arm was amputated at the same hospital, with both families alleging complications at the same hospital led to a medical nightmare.
36-year-old Caitlin James said the care meant to save her life nearly claimed it.
“I get angry looking at it every day,” former patient Caitlin James said.
She was rushed by ambulance to HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital after a car crash in August.
“When they went in to remove the spleen, that’s when they nicked my intestines, my bowel, but they sewed me back up. They didn’t realize they had done it.”
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She filed a formal complaint with AHCA – Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
“I had become septic several times, which ultimately led to several surgeries,” James said.
She said she spent 53 days in the hospital.
“Here I am with a very thin layer of skin covering my organs,” James said.
She said she’ll need abdominal reconstruction.
When she saw Action News Jax’s report earlier in December on another HCA Orange Park patient whose arm was amputated after a gallbladder surgery led to medical complications, James decided to come forward.
“I feel bad for that other family, because that very well could have been myself. An amputation is a life-altering experience,” James said.
She praised the care she got from nurses, but urges others to do their own hospital research.
“Know what you’re getting into. If a transfer is possible for your own comfort, just do it,” James said.
HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital responded with a statement, saying in part:
Since privacy laws prohibit us from talking about patient care, we can’t point out when something misleading or untrue is said… HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital is recognized nationally for being in the top 5% of hospitals for patient safety. We understand that suffering from injuries or illnesses that require hospital care is difficult for patients and their families. We are proud of our physicians, nurses, and other caregivers who provide the best possible care to our patients.
AHCA told Action News Jax, “The agency investigated 35 complaints for HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital from December 1, 2020, to December 1, 2025.”
James said she has had seven surgeries so far.
She needs two more and said she’s having her next two surgeries at a different hospital, Mayo Clinic.
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