According to a story in The New York Times, the emergency department at New York University Langone Health provides special treatment to benefactors and other influential persons while deterring impoverished people from seeking care.
The investigation indicates that VIPs were occasionally spotted in Room 20, intended to be reserved for critically ill or isolated patients.
Reports from The Times
The Times claims that millionaire co-founder of Home Depot Ken Langone was transported to Room 20 after complaining of stomach ache. Langone is a big contributor to his namesake health system. Another trustee was allegedly escorted to Room 20 after exercising because he felt out of breath. The Times was told by Langone that he never requested or was offered preferential treatment.
The Times’ Sarah Kliff and Jessica Silver-Greenberg say that while VIPs were given priority, unhoused patients were occasionally referred to Bellevue, a nearby public hospital in Manhattan. According to the investigation, paramedics transporting these patients to NYU Langone were occasionally urged to move them elsewhere.
Further investigation of the matter
The latest investigation reports that dozens of doctors reported feeling pressure to favor well-connected patients over sicker patients, namely at the hospital system’s Manhattan emergency room.
The inquiry revealed a pattern of preferential treatment at the Ronald O. Perelman Center for Emergency Services at New York University. Employees say one of the largest private rooms has been reserved frequently for VIPs.
In addition, chart notes and emails were used to identify VIPs for preferential care, which may include admission to a private room or skipping the line for an MRI. Thirty physicians told the Times that there is even a special phone line that trustees may use to notify the hospital that they are on their way.
Special treatment for VIPs
Allegedly, the ER at NYU Langone Health employs a room known exclusively as Room 20, which is intended for patients with the greatest health priority but has been used for individuals with the most money or renown. At least 30 doctors asserted that there was a suggestion that the rich and well-connected should be given priority treatment.
Home Depot creator Ken Langone, for whom the hospital is named, is rumored to be among the institution’s recipients. He was transported to the highly prioritized Room 20 for stomach trouble. Langone denies requesting or getting preferential treatment.
The New York Times reports that a prominent hospital trustee was rushed to Room 20 because he felt out of breath after exercising. Kim Behrens, a nurse at Bellevue’s hospital, stated, ‘Every day, we receive an NYU dump.’ In the instance of Schumer, he and his wife, Iris Weinshall, were sent to Room 20 after Weinshall, the New York Public Library’s chief operating officer, became short of breath.
According to the report, both received accelerated COVID-19 testing while sicker individuals were handled in the corridor. A representative for Schumer stated that his security routine mandates that he be held in the most guarded area available.