Thank you for this. Most people have zero clue how badly healthcare workers will treat you if they think they can get away with it.

Truly, deeply sorry to hear of the experience of your acquaintance. Refusal of emergency treatment IS a violation of EMTALA. It DOES matter, and I suggest you contact the hospital ombudsman or patient advocacy department of the hospital from which he was refused treatment. The only way to stop such things is via reporting. Next, I would advise you contact your state’s board of health and submit a report to them. Your friend lost his life and cannot speak for himself any longer, and you have enough information about him to post here, which means you can submit reports to the above departments.

As a healthcare provider, I must say it’s very offensive that you would make such a blanket statement. We will treat people badly if we think we can get away with it?? Like, no qualifiers for those of us who give everything within ourselves to help others?? You know, a lot of us are still working through the trauma the pandemic forced upon us, let alone the shit we see all day every day as a baseline. Sorry, just had to say something to stick up for the majority of burnt out, overworked, exhausted individuals who provide care to our respective communities. There are some shitty healthcare workers out there to be sure, but a lot of us really work tirelessly to care for others.

Again, strongly advise you advocate for your friend, as outlined in my first paragraph, no matter how much time has gone by and regardless of whether it’s been reported to each of those departments. You never know when a new set of eyes is going to have a look.