IMHO, there was insufficient info in the article to draw conclusions one way or another, and probably won’t be until after liabilities are settled.
IMHO, one weakness in healthcare is the institutionalization of JCAHO standards en lieu of professional oversight in emergency rooms and healthcare in general. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hospital staff followed JCAHO standards and checklists, thereby justifying their position to release the patient and pulling up a history of disrespecting HC practitioners, thereby justifying their ignorance of her true condition.
This is the hospital that had their accreditation pulled by JCAHO because they weren’t following standards, despite many warnings and chances to fix the problem. Since you’re familiar with JCAHO, you must know how unusual it is for them to take away accreditation.
However, I agree with you that lots of JCAHO ER standards are besides the point - they don’t lead to good care, often they just lead to a bureaucratic mess. The “pharmacist review” is one example.