A Man Told Hospital Staff He Couldn't Breathe. They Called Him a Liar. He Died.

Dear Supporters of the Medical Blacklisting Prevention Act:

This is Jerome White. Jerome went to a New Jersey hospital mid-asthma attack, "screaming that he could not breathe." Staff reportedly dismissed him as someone who "pretends to be sick" and discharged him. He collapsed on the street outside. He died 16 days later. His family says the hospital settled for $15 million. See:  Jerome's Story

This is what medical blacklisting looks like in its most extreme form: a label — "pretends to be sick" — that overrides what a patient is actually telling you, in the moment it matters most.

That label doesn't stay in one chart, one hospital, one visit. It follows patients. It shapes how the next provider reads them before they even speak. Jerome White didn't get a next visit. Rest in peace, Jerome. You should still be here. 

The Medical Blacklisting Prevention Act exists so that dismissive characterizations entered into a patient's record can't quietly become a life-or-death decision, and so patients have a way to challenge them before it's too late.

We're at 1,741 signatures. Share this with at least one person today:   https://www.change.org/End_Medical_Blacklisting

Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend,

Amy