[Petition] Black & #Transgender Lives Lost to Medical Neglect: Demand Justice in MA Hospitals!
The Issue
"My name is And Steiner. I am a Queer, gender-diverse patient that has been hospitalized in Massachusetts' (MA) Department of Mental Health ( #DMH) hospitals for four years because of severe suicidality with suicide attempts.
"During that time, I have endured three attempts by DMH to suddenly discharge me from treatment without appropriate support, a practice known as ' #PatientDumping'. This usually occurs when insurance has denied coverage or a patient has become a legal liability and often proves deadly, as you will see in this petition.
"While under DMH’s care, I have learned of at least two cases of serious medical neglect, and one suspected, which resulted in patient deaths. #HaywoodEarl was a Black man who died 'a painful and untimely death' from medical neglect at #LemuelShattuck Hospital, according to an investigation by #DisabilityLawCenter. Disability Law Center also investigated the death of #CaSonyaKing (pictured), a Black woman who they concluded 'died needlessly' from being 'patient dumped" from a #PsychiatricHospital. It is suspected that #JeanBusch, a transgender patient at Lemuel Shattuck, died similarly. All minorities. All died needlessly.
"When I learned of their deaths I was affected deeply. I reported Jean's death to DMH Authority, Attorney General Campbell and Governor Maura Healey in Jan 2023.
"Despite being under no criminal investigation, as punishment for reporting Jean's death, I was illegally and forcibly transferred to a dangerous forensic ward with no due process. There I experience 15 months of relentless physical #assaults, as well as verbal and sexual #harassment, often directly related to my sexual orientation and #GenderIdentity."
#LemuelShattuck #BIPOC #PatientAbuse #Queer #BIPOC #Transgender #LGBTQ #PatientNeglect #PatternOfAbuse #Psychiatry #Massachusetts #MassDMH
#HumanRightsAbuses
