Death stuns hospital workers, family

Nov. 01--About a month ago, Summor Gooch, director of emergency services at Decatur Morgan Hospital Parkway Medical Campus, called Michael Dewayne Atkins for assistance.

"He moved a piece of art for me and rehung it in the ER lobby," Gooch said. "I said, 'You're going to use a level to make sure it's straight, aren't you?' He replied, 'Summor, I'm going to take care of it.' It's still there, and it's still straight."

Gooch and other employees at both Decatur campuses of the Huntsville Hospital System are mourning a man they said loved people and his work, and was particular with each project he did.

Atkins, 41, of Russellville, died Wednesday evening at Decatur General Campus after an accident at the facility's freight elevator. He was found wedged between the floor and the bottom of the elevator, according to police.

Sgt. George Silvestri, an investigator with the Decatur Police Department, said Decatur Fire and Rescue received a report about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday that someone was "trapped by an elevator" at the hospital. "Upon arrival, a male was found deceased," Silvestri said.

Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn said Atkins and two other men had been working on a sump pump in the elevator shaft when the accident occurred.

Hospital President Nat Richardson said Atkins was on a three-member team that does maintenance work on the evening shift.

"My understanding is that two team members had gone to the plant operations shop to gather supplies for routine work," he said. "One of them, on the way back, found that Atkins had been trapped in the elevator."

Richardson said the freight elevator is at the loading dock at the back of the hospital near the emergency entrance.

"It is a non-public elevator used only by staff members who are responsible for the distribution of supplies," Richardson said. "The elevator, which goes up two floors, is for heavier supplies coming in for patient use."

Richardson, who spent a year at Parkway Medical and has been at Decatur General one year, said he has not gone into the area where the accident occurred and has been given only limited information about it.

He was uncertain whether hospital doctors or nurses responded to the scene.

"We don't know how the elevator came down or how he got trapped by the elevator," Richardson said. "I haven't spoken with the other team members working on the project and haven't been provided with information about what they said. We're hoping the investigation will tell us what happened."

Richardson said the team typically does routine work on a daily basis, and the hospital has a maintenance contract for work on the elevators.

"The freight elevator is on hold until the investigation is complete," Richardson said. "The other elevators in the hospital remain in service. There is a requirement for inspections on our elevators, and that is done routinely."

He could not say when the last inspection on the freight elevator was done.

Richardson said the hospital is waiting for the state to complete its investigation. He said OSHA isn't involved because health care authority hospitals are governed differently.

Richardson said he won't be able to comment on future safety recommendations until the conclusion of the investigation.

Gooch, who has worked at Parkway Medical 12 years, said she first met Atkins when he joined the staff in September 2011.

"He was kind of a quiet man who always worked hard and responded promptly when we needed him," Gooch said. "When we called and he was working on projects elsewhere in the building, it didn't matter. If ER needed him, he came."

Gooch said Atkins always had a positive attitude and a smile.

"He made rounds through many of the clinical departments at the beginning of his shift and on breaks to make sure everything was working like it should be," she said.

Gooch said it is easy to determine what speaks most about Atkins and his relationship with employees at Parkway.

"It's how saddened today everyone here is about his death," she said.

Gooch said she knew of Atkins' family but had never met them.

"He talked about his wife and children frequently," she said. "It is evident he loved and cared for them."

Atkins and his wife, Treisa, have three children -- daughters, Courtney and Jennifer, and son, Michael Jr. -- ranging in ages from 17 to 20.

"He was a wonderful husband and always put his family first," Treisa Atkins said. "He loved doing anything with his family. He was always outside with his nieces and nephews and grandkids."

Atkins' mother, Juanita Atkins, of Russellville, recalled "there is nothing but good to say about him. He was a wonderful dad, a great husband and a good son. He enjoyed spending time with his family. He loved his family."

Mandy Harville, of Russellville, Atkins' sister, said her brother always put his family first.

"He was a very caring person," she said. "He loved being with his family. He enjoyed cooking out and grilling, and playing with his kids. He liked to fish and ride motorcycles, but family was always first."

Pinkard Funeral Home, of Russellville, is handling arrangements. A funeral home spokeswoman said the family plans to come Saturday morning to finalize arrangements.

Chunn, who pronounced Atkins dead at the scene at 7:23 p.m. Wednesday, said Atkins' body was first transported for autopsy to the state forensics lab in Huntsville.

"They have such a caseload there, the body was transferred to Montgomery where autopsies on non-homicides are now done," Chunn said. "The body should be back in Huntsville by 4 p.m. (today)."

Ronnie Thomas can be reached at 256-340-2438 or rthomas@decaturdaily.com.

Copyright 2013 - The Decatur Daily, Ala.