Death notices were mistakingly sent from MaineHealth to families who family members are still living

According to authorities, officials for Maine’s largest healthcare provider have apologized after a computer system error led to hundreds of living people receiving death notices. 

MaineHealth, the state’s largest provider of medical services, confirmed that on Oct. 20, 531 patients were mistakenly sent letters intended to inform next of kin of a patient’s death.

“MaineHealth sincerely regrets this error,” the organization said in a prepared statement.

According to authorities, the problem stemmed from a computer program that automatically generates estate-vendor letters. While the error triggered the mailing, officials emphasized that no medical records had been altered to indicate the affected individuals were deceased.

The software issue has since been corrected to prevent future incidents.

MaineHealth, a nonprofit healthcare provider, operates a Level 1 trauma center and eight other hospitals across Maine and New Hampshire. The organization employs more than 20,000 people.