UPDATED 4:31 P.M.
Funeral arrangements have been made for Margaret E. Wagner, 86, of Batavia, who died Monday.
Wagner's illness made news after the family of Joe and Lois Gerace publicly raised concerns about her care at United Memorial Medical Center, where Wagner, they believe, contracted Clostridium difficile, more commonly called "C. diff."
State Department of Health officials said in a release today that Wagner is among of three deaths of UMMC patients who are believed to have contracted C. diff at the hospital. The cases remain under of investigation to determine what role C. diff might have played.
The total number of C. diff cases under investigation at UMMC is 19, according to Jeffrey Hammond, a spokesman for the Department of Health.
Previously, only one C. diff-related death had been reported there, in March. There were 18 C. diff cases going back to February.
Currently, according to spokeswoman Colleen Flynn, one patient is being screened to see if he or she has contracted C. diff.
That's a substantial drop in probable C. diff cases a few weekends ago when six patients were being treated for the bacteria.
"The policies we've always had in place were effective and the steps we've taken since the higher than usual numbers were reported have worked very well," Flynn said.
After the outbreak of C. diff was detected, hospital officials step up sterilization measures and took aggressive actions were taken to battle against the bacteria.
Wagner was born April 5, 1925 in Buffalo and worked 26 years for MetLife Insurance in Batavia.
She was a member of the Batavia First United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir, taught Sunday school and also kept the records for the Sunday school classes. She also worked and volunteered at the Salvation Army and for the Beckwith Insurance Company in Pembroke.
Calling hours are from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, at the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 E. Main St., Batavia. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Batavia First United Methodist Church, 8221 Lewiston Road, Batavia. Burial will be in Alexander Cemetery, Alexander.
