Black doctor who grew up in Michigan dies of COVID after complaints of racist treatment

INDIANAPOLIS – A black doctor who died fighting COVID-19 complained of racist medical care in many shared social media posts days before her death, leading an Indiana hospital system to promise a “full external review” of her treatment.

Dr. Susan Moore, 52, tested positive for COVID-19 late last month and was admitted to IU Health North Hospital in Carmel, Indiana, according to a Facebook post. The doctor was well aware of her condition and medical procedures and said she had to repeatedly ask for medications, scans, and routine checkups while admitted to a hospital in Carmel, Indiana. She especially noticed a white doctor who seemingly put her pain away and said she did not trust the hospital.

“I blew and hold on, if I was white I wouldn’t have to go through that,” she says in a December 4 video, her voice often cracking. “This is how black people are killed when you get them home, and they don’t know how to fight for themselves.”

She was released from the Indiana University Health System hospital on December 7, but was hospitalized again 12 hours later when her temperature rose and her blood pressure dropped, her report said. She was taken to another hospital, Ascencion St. Vincent in Carmel, and said she was experiencing better care.

Still, her condition deteriorated and she was put on a ventilator. She died on December 20, her 19-year-old son Henry Muhammad told news outlets. A listed number for Mohammed could not be found on Friday. Messages left by The Associated Press for two family spokespersons were not immediately returned Friday.

The coronavirus has disproportionately affected black people, who suffer from higher levels of obesity, diabetes and asthma, making them more susceptible to the virus. Black Americans are also more vulnerable because of systemic racism, inequality in access to health care, and economic opportunity.

Many black Americans also report that medical professionals take their ailments less seriously when seeking treatment.

Moore grew up in Michigan, where she received a medical degree from the University of Michigan in 2002. She had an active medical license in Indiana at the time of her death, according to MLive.com.

Mohammed told The New York Times that his mother often had inferior medical care. She had an inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis that affects the lungs and was often treated for her condition.

“Almost every time she went to the hospital, she had to plead for herself, fight for something in some way, just to get the right care,” he told the paper.

Dennis Murphy, Indiana University Health’s president and CEO, said on Thursday that he was saddened by Moore’s death. He said he did not believe the medical team had failed to meet “the technical aspects” of Moore’s care after a preliminary medical quality assessment, but “may not have demonstrated the level of compassion and respect we strive to understand what matters most. is for patients. “

“I am asking for an external review of this case. We will have a diverse panel of healthcare and diversity experts conduct an in-depth medical assessment of Dr. Moore to address potential treatment bias, ”he said in a statement.

In the past year, national public health experts have recognized the role racism plays in health care, with dozens of cities, counties and states declaring racism a threat to public health. While public health experts call it a first step, many are skeptical.

Mohammed, who said his mother was his best friend and a very caring person, did not get a chance to say goodbye until she died.

“I’m unimaginably furious … because if what my mom thinks was true and that it was racism, and so they neglected her, no one should experience that,” he told ABC News.

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