An independent panel of experts will look into the coronavirus-related death of a black physician who alleged that a white doctor ignored her concerns about her treatment.
Indiana University Health has stated that they have formed a six-person panel to examine the death of Dr. Susan Moore, who lobbied allegations of racism toward staff at Indiana University Health North Hospital, according to CNN.
Dr. Moore died on Dec. 20 from coronavirus-related complications, her son told the New York Times. Her death was just two weeks after the internist shared a video from her hospital bed in which she accused a doctor of ignoring her requests because she was black. (RELATED: New Variant Of Coronavirus From UK Detected In Texas, Connecticut)
Moore allegedly had to beg to receive remdesivir, according to CNN. Dr. Moore claims that the doctor told her that he might send her home, and he didn’t feel comfortable giving her more narcotics.
“He made me feel like I was a drug addict,” she said in the video. Dr. Moore stated that her pain was “adequately treated” only after she raised concerns about her care. She was discharged from Indiana University Health North but went to a different hospital twelve hours later.
“I put forth and I maintain if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that,” Moore said.
Indiana University Health says they immediately began looking into the case as soon as they heard about the allegations.
IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy has published a letter to all who have reached out and shown concern for the care of Dr. Susan Moore. – https://t.co/W89XzN7jPy
— IU Health (@IU_Health) December 25, 2020
In a public statement, Indiana University Health said that “an independent, external investigation of Dr. Moore’s case and our overall patient care protocols, communication and procedures has begun.”
“Four of the panelists are African American, one is Latino, and one is white. Three are women and three are men,” they added.
The results of the investigation will be made public “in a matter of weeks.”