Statement Says Nurses May Have Been 'Intimidated' By Dr. Susan Moore

This is disheartening but unsurprising…

Source: Facebook / Susan Moore

After the death of a Black doctor who documented alleged racial disparities and mistreatment went viral, the hospital where she passed away has issued an alarming statement with notes about the medical professional possibly being “intimidating.”

As previously reported Dr. Susan Moore died at Indiana University North Hospital due to coronavirus complications.

Dr. Moore was adamant that the hospital staff was NOT providing her proper treatment in part because of her race. In one of her posts, she alleged that her doctor, Dr. Eric Bannec, did not want to prescribe her additional doses of Remdesivir, a life-saving treatment for COVID-19, and wanted to send her home even though she was still clearly very ill.

“Now, that is not how you treat patients, period,” said Dr. Moore in her hospital bed. “So, I don’t trust this hospital, and I’m asking to be transferred. This is how Black people get killed! When you send them home and they don’t know how to fight for themselves.”

After Dr. Moore succumbed to COVID complications her social media posts caused an uproar especially from people who agreed that Dr. Moore’s passing was partly due to racial bias.

The Indiana University Health System has now released a statement regarding Dr. Moore’s death through their President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis M. Murphy. Murphy explained in his statement that Moore might have “intimidated” nurses who saw her using social media to document her alleged mistreatment.

“Like many others, I have watched the video of Dr. Susan Moore that she posted from her bed at our hospital. I am deeply saddened by her death and the loss her family is feeling. Our hearts are with Dr. Moore’s family and friends.

It hurt me personally to see a patient reach out via social media because they felt their care was inadequate and their personal needs were not being heard,” the statement read. “I also saw several human perspectives in the story she told – that of physicians who were trying to manage the care of a complex patient in the midst of a pandemic crisis where the medical evidence on specific treatments continues to be debated in medical journals and in the lay press.

And the perspective of a nursing team trying to manage a set of critically ill patients in need of care who may have been intimidated by a knowledgeable patient who was using social media to voice her concerns and critique the care they were delivering. All of these perspectives comprise a complex picture. At the end of the day, I am left with the image of a distressed patient who was a member of our own profession—one we all hold dear and that exists to help serve and better the lives of others. These factors make this loss doubly distressing.”

Murphy also said he is “confident” in the team that provided Dr. Moore care despite the late doctor’s allegations and pledged to have an internal and external review of her case completed. He also added this bit about racial injustices and bias;

“Over the last several years, I have pledged to promote racial justice and resist discrimination of any kind at IU Health. My commitment to this pledge is reinforced as I repeatedly think about Dr. Moore’s voice. I also have listened to the voices and experiences of our team members and patients of color over the past year. They have shared experiences of discrimination by patients, families and colleagues. They also shared their hopes for how IU Health could model for others how to be a more diverse, inclusive and just organization. Dr. Moore’s public sharing of her experience is a sentinel moment to accelerate our forward movement. This tragedy will not become a statistic in the COVID-19 crisis and it will serve as a marker of material improvements for patients of color.”

Sure, Jan.

As you can imagine people are rightfully pissed about the “intimidation” comment which sounds a LOT like the hospital’s leaning into the “angry Black woman” narrative.

R.I.P. Dr. Moore. A GoFundMe has been established for her son and her parents who are living with dementia.

What do YOU think about Indian University Healthy System’s statement on Dr. Susan Moore?