CJ-2026-1076 - Brenda Carol Harris v. Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc.

What's This Case About?

Let’s be clear: this is not a story about a patient who walked into a hospital, had a routine procedure, and things just went sideways. No. This is the story of a woman who went in for a relatively common outpatient surgery—and left in a body bag, after a cascade of alleged medical failures so dramatic it sounds like a Grey’s Anatomy season finale written by someone who really hates hospitals. An entire team of doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and a hospital system are now being sued for negligence after Billie Faye Harris died during what was supposed to be a straightforward arm procedure—followed by a chaotic, last-ditch attempt to save her with a heart-lung machine that, according to the lawsuit, came too late and didn’t last long enough. And now, her family wants answers—and $200,000 in damages.

Billie Faye Harris wasn’t a mystery patient. She was a resident of Oklahoma County, a woman with a medical history that, while not detailed in the filing, clearly involved kidney issues—because the surgery she went in for on October 10, 2022, was a revision of a brachiocephalic AV fistula in her left arm. For the uninitiated: that’s a surgically created connection between an artery and a vein, usually in the arm, designed to make dialysis easier for patients with kidney failure. It’s not brain surgery—but it is surgery, and it requires anesthesia. Billie’s sister, Brenda Carol Harris, is now suing as the personal representative of Billie’s estate, claiming that what should have been a routine outpatient fix turned into a fatal disaster due to a chain of medical missteps.

Here’s how it allegedly went down. Billie showed up at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City for her fistula revision, expecting to be in and out the same day. Dr. James Daniel Shepherd was listed as the surgeon. Dr. James B. Pate was handling anesthesia, with physician assistant Caitlyn Kohake assisting. Everything seemed on track—until, as the petition puts it, “some difficulty with anesthesia” occurred. That’s medical-ese for things went wrong fast. According to the filing, an endotracheal tube had to be placed—meaning they had to intubate her, likely because she stopped breathing or her airway collapsed. Then, within minutes, her heart started failing. A “code blue” was called—the hospital’s emergency signal that a patient is in cardiac arrest. CPR began. And then, about 30 minutes into the crisis, the hospital deployed the big guns: ECMO.

ECMO—extracorporeal membrane oxygenation—is basically a heart-lung bypass machine used in extreme emergencies. It oxygenates the blood outside the body and pumps it back in, giving the heart and lungs a chance to rest or recover. It’s not something you whip out for a minor scare. It’s for when someone is this close to flatlining. And while it’s impressive tech, it’s not a magic wand. The petition claims that ECMO was only run for about two hours—and then, abruptly, it was discontinued. Billie Faye Harris was pronounced dead shortly after.

Now, the lawsuit doesn’t claim that the anesthesia issue itself was the sole cause of death—though it certainly didn’t help. Instead, the core of the case hinges on two alleged failures: first, that the medical team didn’t handle the initial procedure and anesthesia properly, leading to the cardiac arrest; and second, that once the crisis hit, the response was too little, too late. Specifically, the plaintiffs argue that ECMO should have been initiated sooner and continued longer—and that the delay or premature discontinuation may have cost Billie her life. The list of defendants reads like a hospital org chart: not just the surgeon and anesthesiologist, but the entire ECMO team—Dr. Ammar Sharif, Dr. Mircea Mihu, Dr. Laura Swant, Dr. Marc Maybauer, Dr. Aly El Banayosy—all named for their roles in the life-support effort. Even Meagan Williams, an advanced practice nurse, is included for her involvement in the ECMO treatment. And then there’s Integris Baptist Medical Center itself, which is being sued not just for the actions of its staff, but for its own alleged negligence—failing to enforce proper care protocols, failing to monitor patient safety, and possibly failing to ensure that life-saving interventions like ECMO were used appropriately.

So what exactly is Brenda Harris asking for? The petition demands at least $100,000 in actual damages—covering medical bills, funeral costs, and the emotional toll of losing her sister under such traumatic circumstances. But here’s the kicker: she’s also asking for another $100,000—or more—in punitive damages. That’s not about compensation. That’s about punishment. Punitive damages are the legal system’s way of saying, “You didn’t just mess up—you acted recklessly, or with gross negligence, and we need to slap you hard enough that you don’t do it again.” The filing accuses the defendants of “wanton and gross negligence,” suggesting this wasn’t just a tragic accident, but a preventable failure of care on multiple levels.

Now, is $200,000 a lot in a medical malpractice case? In most states, no—many such lawsuits seek millions. But Oklahoma has a cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases (though it’s been legally shaky in recent years), and $100,000 is still a significant sum, especially when you consider this was an outpatient procedure. The fact that the family is pushing for punitive damages suggests they’re not just after money—they’re after accountability. They want someone to admit that this wasn’t just bad luck. That a chain of errors, delays, and poor decisions turned a survivable situation into a death.

And honestly? The most absurd part of this whole thing isn’t even the number of doctors named—it’s the sheer bureaucratic whiplash of the case’s history. This lawsuit was first filed in October 2024—and then dismissed because the plaintiffs didn’t serve the defendants in time. Now it’s being refiled under a legal loophole that lets you restart a case if it was dismissed due to a technicality. So we’re not just dealing with a medical tragedy—we’re dealing with a legal do-over. Imagine being one of those doctors, thinking the case was over, only to get served again a year later. That’s not just stressful—it’s the legal equivalent of a jump scare.

Look, we’re not doctors. We can’t say whether ECMO should’ve been started five minutes earlier or run for five hours longer. But what we can say is this: when you have ten medical professionals and a hospital system all named in a wrongful death suit over a routine procedure, something went very, very wrong. Whether it was incompetence, miscommunication, or just a perfect storm of bad decisions, the result was the same: a woman went in for an arm surgery and never came home. And now, her family is left asking why it took so long to intubate, why ECMO was delayed, and why it was turned off so quickly. They’re not just suing for money—they’re suing for answers. And in a system where accountability is often buried under jargon and legal defenses, that might be the hardest thing to get. We’re rooting for the truth to come out—because Billie Faye Harris deserved better than to become a cautionary tale in a hospital’s incident report.

Case Overview

$200,000 Demand Jury Trial Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

Thomas J. Steece

Oklahoma Legal Services, PLLC

Relief Sought

$100,000 Monetary

$1 Punitive

Plaintiffs

Brenda Carol Harris individual
Rep: Thomas J. Steece

Defendants

Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc. business
James Daniel Shepherd, MD individual
Ammar Sharif, MD individual
Mircea Mihu, MD individual
Laura Swant, DO individual
Marc Maybauer, MD individual
Aly El Banayosy, MD individual
James B. Pate, MD individual
Caitlyn Kohake individual
Meagan Williams individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	Negligence	Medical malpractice resulting in death

Petition Text

1,872 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA BRENDA CAROL HARRIS, as the Personal Representative of the Estate of BILLIE FAYE HARRIS Plaintiff, v. INTEGRIS BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER, INC., a domestic company; JAMES DANIEL SHEPHERD, MD, individually; AMMAR SHARIF, MD, individually; MIRCEA MIHU, MD, individually; LAURA SWANT, DO, individually; MARC MAYBAUER, MD, individually; ALY EL BANAYOSY, MD, individually; JAMES B. PATE, MD, individually; CAITLYN KOHAKE, AA-C, individually; MEAGAN WILLIAMS, ARPN, CNS, Individually, Defendants. PETITION COMES NOW the Plaintiff, Brenda Carol Harris, as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Billie Faye Harris, by and through her attorneys of record and herby submits the following causes of action against Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc.; James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD: Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Swant, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams, and alleges and states as follow: JURISDICTION 1. That Brenda Carol Harris, hereinafter also referred to as "Plaintiff," was a citizen and resident of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma at all relevant times hereto. 2. That Billie Faye Harris (hereinafter also referred to as "Decedent") was at all relevant times a citizen and resident of Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma. 3. That Defendant Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc. (hereinafter also referred to as "Defendant Integris") is a domestic business entity with its registered service agent in Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma. 4. That the Defendants James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD; Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Swant, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams are and were medical providers in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma at the time of the subject incident. 5. That the subject incident – including but not limited to a negligent outpatient left arm brachiocephalic AV fistula revision and negligent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment resulting in the death of Decedent – occurred on October 10, 2022, at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. 6. That this litigation was previously filed on October 9, 2024, and was dismissed by operation of law on August 3, 2025, (following Orders from this Court relative to extension of service) since service on Defendants was not effectuated. 7. That this litigation has been properly and timely refiled pursuant to 12 O.S. § 100. 8. That the Plaintiff alleges injuries and damages in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) exclusive of costs and interest. This Court, therefore, has jurisdiction and venue over these causes of action and the parties herein. CAUSE OF ACTION – NEGLIGENCE COMES NOW the Plaintiff and for her cause of action against the Defendants, Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc.; James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD: Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Want, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams, realleges and restores the above material allegations and further alleges and states as follows: 9. That the Defendant, James Daniel Shepherd, MD, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant Shepherd held himself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 10. That the Defendant, Ammar Sharif, MD, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant Sharif held himself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 11. That the Defendant, Mircea Mihu, MD, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant Mihu held himself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 12. That the Defendant, Laura Swant, DO, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant Swant held herself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 13. That the Defendant, Marc Maybauer, MD, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant Maybauer held himself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 14. That the Defendant, Aly El Banayosy, MD, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant El Banayosy held himself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 15. That the Defendant, James B. Pate, MD, is a physician licensed to practice medicine by the State of Oklahoma. At all times material hereto, Defendant Pate held himself out as being qualified to practice medicine and to provide competent and proper medical care for patients such as the Decedent, Billie Faye Harris. 16. That Defendant Caitlyn Kohake is an AA-C who worked with Defendant James B. Pate, MD to perform anesthesia treatment to Decedent on October 10, 2022. 17. That Defendant Meagan Williams is an ARPN-CNS who performed medical duties relative to the treatment of Decedent on October 10, 2022 (including but not limited to ECMO treatment). 18. That on October 10, 2022, an outpatient left arm brachiocephalic AV fistula revision was to be performed by one and/or more of the Defendants, including Defendant James Daniel Shepherd, MD. 19. That during the procedure as admitted by one and/or more of the Defendants, "some difficulty with anesthesia" occurred that resulted in the placement of “an endotracheal tube” in Decedent. 20. Following the placement of the endotracheal tube, Decedent began to lose cardiac function and other medical care including but not limited to CPR was started. 21. That at some point prior to or during CPR measures being performed on Decedent, “a code blue was called” by the Defendants due to Decedent’s condition. 22. That approximately thirty (30) minutes after the code blue was called, ECMO was initiated by Defendant Integris by and through a team of ECMO doctors including Ammar Sharif, MD: Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Want, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; and/or Aly El Banayosy, MD. 23. That ECMO was performed on Decedent for approximately two (2) hours. 24. That ECMO treatment was discontinued after approximately two (2) hours of treatment, and Decedent expired. 25. Plaintiff alleges that Defendants, one and/or some and/or all of them, were negligent in and/or fell below the recognized and accepted standard of medical care in that they failed to properly and thoroughly perform the outpatient left arm brachiocephalic AV fistula revision, the anesthesiology related thereto, and/or the timely administration of life sustaining treatment including but not limited to ECMO procedure which all, individually and/or collectively, caused and/or significantly contributed to Decedent’s death. 26. That on October 10, 2022, as a direct result of the Defendant(s) (one and/or some and/or all of them) negligent practice(s) in failure to meet and comply with the expected and accepted standards of medical care in performing Decedent’s surgery and life sustaining treatment and/or procedures including but not limited to timely and/or sustained ECMO treatment, Decedent ultimately expired. 27. That, in addition to the common law acts of negligence set forth above, Plaintiff alleges that Defendant(s), one and/or some and/or all of them, is/are liable for the Decedent’s bodily injuries, damages, and death under the theory of negligence per se, including violations of applicable statutes and/or regulations and/or ordinances and/or standards of care for medical procedures. 28. Defendant Integris is further liable for its own direct negligence, separate and apart from the negligence of Defendants James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD; Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Want, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams. Defendant Integris, inter alia, was negligent in monitoring and/or enforcing policies regarding care and treatment of a patient such as Decedent. 29. One and/or more than one and/or all of the Defendants failed to provide Decedent with truly informed options for alternative medical care and treatment of her medical condition that led Decedent to elect the subject care and treatment that ultimately caused and/or significantly contributed to her death. 30. At all pertinent times, Defendants James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD; Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Want, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams was/were agents of the Defendant, Integris. Alternative to being direct agent(s) of the Defendant, Integris, Defendants James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD: Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Want, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams was/were at all pertinent times the ostensible agent(s) of Defendant, Integris. Defendant Integris is vicariously liable for the negligent care and treatment (which fell below the recognized and accepted standard of medical care) rendered by the Defendants James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD: Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Want, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams (one and/or some and/or all of them) to Decedent. 31. That as a result of the acts and/or conduct and/or omissions of Defendant(s), one and/or some and/or all of them., Plaintiff is entitled to recover medical and burial expenses, mental pain and anguish suffered by the Decedent, grief and loss of companionship, and any and all other damages as allowed by Oklahoma law in a total amount of at least One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) actual damages, exclusive of cost and interest. 32. That Plaintiff further alleges that the act(s) and/or conduct and/or omission(s) of Defendant(s), one and/or some and/or all of them was/were at least reckless and/or amount to even wanton and/or gross negligence. Said reckless and/or grossly negligent and/or wanton acts and/or conduct and/or omissions would entitle the Plaintiff to an award of exemplary or punitive damages as against the Defendant(s), one and/or some and/or all of them. Therefore, Plaintiff also seeks an award of exemplary or punitive damages as against the Defendant(s), one and/or some and/or all of them, in a sum in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) exclusive of costs and interest. WHEREFORE the Plaintiff, Brenda Harris, as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Bille Faye Harris, demands judgement against the Defendants, Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc.; James Daniel Shepherd, MD; Ammar Sharif, MD: Mircea Mihu, MD; Laura Swant, DO; Marc Maybauer, MD; Aly El Banayosy, MD; James B. Pate, MD; Caitlin Kohake; and Meagan Williams, (one and/or some and/or all of them) in the amount in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), by way of all legally recognized damages exclusive of costs, interest, and any and all further relief justified in the premises. Respectfully submitted, THOMAS J. STEECE - OBA #11531 OKLAHOMA LEGAL SERVICES, PLLC 12313 Hidden Forest Blvd. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73142 Telephone: 405-943-8300 Facsimile: 405-603-7112 E-mail: [email protected] ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY LIEN CLAIMED