Baltimore patient left at bus stop middle night 30 degree wearing just hospital gown

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    Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Lack of compassion for troubled patient...University of Maryland Medical Center investigation underway. Karen

From CNN

Patient left at cold bus stop at night, wearing only a hospital gown

A viral video of a recently discharged patient left at a bus stop at night in Baltimore has inspired widespread outrage and prompted an investigation at the hospital where she was treated.The video is distressing to watch -- both for its content and for the questions it raises about the events leading up to it.

A young woman, wearing only a hospital gown and socks, is left standing by a bus stop Tuesday night or early Wednesday as four men in uniforms, possibly security guards, walk away. The man who filmed it, Imamu Baraka, follows them as they leave the stop with an empty wheelchair.

"Wait, so you all are just going to leave this lady out here with no clothes on?" he says. "That is not okay."

One of the men replies it was "due to the circumstances of what happened."

The young woman barely speaks and seems dazed, occasionally crying out. Baraka urges her to sit at the bus stop, where two plastic bags full of the woman's belongings lie on the ground next to a pair of shoes. As she approaches the cold bench, the thin gown exposes her bare skin.

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I'd like to know "the circumstances of what happened!"

neuron

554 Posts

Sorry, couldn't watch the video, I'd like to know if an 'MD' discharged her or who was involved with the discharge.

pmabraham, BSN, RN

2 Articles; 2,563 Posts

Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

There is always more to the story. Read "The Hard Truth Behind The Baltimore Patient Dumping Video" ZDoggMD

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Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
There is always more to the story. Read "The Hard Truth Behind The Baltimore Patient Dumping Video" ZDoggMD

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The video tells another side of the story . . . seems perhaps it isn't as clear cut as the original video made it seem.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

ALWAYS two sides to a story. Always

JKL33

6,777 Posts

Other interesting things:

1) Spit mask.

2) The interest in filming rather than, say, seeing if there might be a coat, shirt, or pants in the bags or maybe even one's own coat to lend in a situation one finds horrendous. What irony! "I can either do what I think is right, or I can stand here and trash talk the people who didn't do what I think is right - while I also don't do it." Tough choice, I guess...

Beyond that, what is sad is the number of people who will step forward to scapegoat the ED as if all of the soulless staff in that ED banded together and said, "Yep. This is the best way to care for people."

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NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN

10 Articles; 18,296 Posts

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Mothers side of the story:

Mother calls hospital "callous and heartless" for leaving her daughter in the cold

....According to Cheryl, Rebecca was diagnosed with mental illness - bipolar schizoaffective disorder - when she was 16 years old, and also has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Rebecca lived in a residential youth program called Pathways from the time she turned 18 until Christmas Eve, when she was discharged for not taking her medication.

"She has to be on meds, otherwise she has psychosis," Cheryl said. "She will have, uh, a manic episode."

Cheryl says she has been trying to get legal guardianship of her adult daughter to gain control of her medication, housing and Social Security. But because of HIPAA patient privacy laws, she says doctors will not speak with her.

"This is a byproduct of what the mental health system is," she said. "I cannot get any help for my daughter."...

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Other interesting things:

1) Spit mask.

2) The interest in filming rather than, say, seeing if there might be a coat, shirt, or pants in the bags or maybe even one's own coat to lend in a situation one finds horrendous. What irony! "I can either do what I think is right, or I can stand here and trash talk the people who didn't do what I think is right - while I also don't do it." Tough choice, I guess...

Beyond that, what is sad is the number of people who will step forward to scapegoat the ED as if all of the soulless staff in that ED banded together and said, "Yep. This is the best way to care for people."

Yeah, I wondered about that guy filming -- it was almost as if the whole thing was planned so he could get a video that would go viral. He certainly didn't seem interested in helping as opposed to filming. I love your "I can either do what I think is right, or I can stand here and trash talk the people who didn't do what I think is right -- while I also don't do it."

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

And why do I think that the mother just wants control of the medicine, housing and social security? It's not as though I haven't seen plenty of relatives do unconsciounable things to get control of someone's money, housing and social security.

12yrRN

3 Posts

I just watched the video. Patient can be seen walking around holding her bag of chlothing. You can see the bag of chlothing again when standing in the bus stop. Clearly disoriented. She should have been admitted to mental health unit.

Mavrick, BSN, RN

1,578 Posts

Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

According to the SDOGG video, she WAS offered all sorts of resources, shelter, ride etc. and she refused. She was also evaluated to be an adult that didn't warrant having her civil rights violated with involuntary admission because she wasn't a direct threat to herself or others.

You can't help people who don't want to be helped.

Yeah, it looks bad from one perspective but the real story isn't near as emotionally provocative.

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