,
11 tweets,
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"Dr. Berger," said my patient 'Bettie L", a grandmother with chronic pain, "Hopkins cleared out my bank account. Their lawyer told me they're suing me."
Read this to find out why. It's shocking. And thank you to @NationalNurses for doing this work.
nationalnursesunited.org/press/new-repo…
Read this to find out why. It's shocking. And thank you to @NationalNurses for doing this work.
nationalnursesunited.org/press/new-repo…
What's going on? Hopkins is suing people for medical debt. Poor people. 
In fact, the most common group my employer sues is...
... people in the hospital's neighborhood. Including my patients. ZIP 21213.
... people in the hospital's neighborhood. Including my patients. ZIP 21213.
Surprisingly, or not, Hopkins doesn't need the money. In fact, they get money to provide charity care. Isn't suing patients the opposite?
What happened to my patients happened to hundreds. Hopkins garnished wages via debt court.
Whose wages did Hopkins garnish? Poor patients, black patients. And most commonly? Its own EMPLOYEES.
Community engagement indeed.
Community engagement indeed.
Hopkins should stop doing this. For the sake of my patients if nothing else. As the @NationalNurses and @AFLCIO said...Cancel all medical debt lawsuits against low -income patients.
Cease the onerous practices of garnishing wages of low-income patients.
Cease the onerous practices of garnishing wages of low-income patients.
Here's the full report.
act.nationalnursesunited.org/page/-/files/g…
A friend asked me: Is this [advocacy] your job?
When it harms my patients? Sure as hell is my job.
act.nationalnursesunited.org/page/-/files/g…
A friend asked me: Is this [advocacy] your job?
When it harms my patients? Sure as hell is my job.
@baltimoresun @AlecMacGillis @dwatkinsworld @SenMaryW43 @mattbc @jaisalnoor @notrivia @BaltimoreBrew @BmoreBloc @baltbeat @washingtonpost My institution is full of smart, compassionate, well-meaning people, including the president & CEO, no doubt. I am confident this decision -- to sue patients -- is not to be laid at the feet of one person alone. It's a systems issue.
Which makes it all the more urgent to change.
Which makes it all the more urgent to change.
@baltimoresun @AlecMacGillis @dwatkinsworld @SenMaryW43 @mattbc @jaisalnoor @notrivia @BaltimoreBrew @BmoreBloc @baltbeat @washingtonpost No one person woke up and decided to sue poor, black patients.
The institution is BUILT this way. is INCENTIVIZED to behave this way.
The institution is BUILT this way. is INCENTIVIZED to behave this way.
