Category Archives: Health care decision-making

Wrongful Death & Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Filed In Michael Hickson Case

brain injury, court cases, COVID-19, Do-Not-Resuscitate, Feeding Tubes, futility, Health care decision-making, health disparities, healthcare rationing, life-ending decisions, medical discrimination, Michael Hickson, Our News & Commentary Blog, quality of life judgments, surrogate decision making, treatment withdrawal, wrongful death, , , ,

June 11, 2021 By: Andrés J. Gallegos, Jennifer M. Sender ROBBINS, SALOMON & PATT, LTD. SEEKS JUSTICE FOR MICHAEL HICKSON, FILES WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT AGAINST ST. DAVID’S SOUTH AUSTIN MEDICAL CENTER & ITS PHYSICIANS Robbins, Salomon & Patt, Ltd. (RSP) on June 10, 2021, filed a multi-count wrongful death lawsuit against St. David’s South Austin Medical Center … Continue reading Wrongful Death & Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Filed In Michael Hickson Case →

Carol Cleigh Sutton – DNR: Choice or Medical Murder?

advance directives, Carol Cleigh Sutton, DNR, Do-Not-Resuscitate, Health care decision-making, life-ending decisions, life-sustaining treatment, medical discrimination, Our News & Commentary Blog, treatment withholding, , , , ,

A friend asked if I knew how many people have been medically killed since Covid-19. My answer is that there is no way to know. We know about Michael Hickson and  we’re just learning about Sarah McSweeney and perhaps many others from a recent NPR investigation.  However, when relatives agree, or at least don’t vociferously … Continue reading Carol Cleigh Sutton – DNR: Choice or Medical Murder? →

Michael Hickson: Disability Organizations Challenge Medical Futility & Surrogate Decisions

ADAPT, bioethics, ethics committee, futile care, futility, Health care decision-making, healthcare rationing, life-ending decisions, life-sustaining treatment, medical discrimination, Michael Hickson, national council on independent living, Our News & Commentary Blog, surrogate decision making, Surrogate Decisions & Guardianship, treatment withdrawal, , , ,

On July 24th, ADAPT of Texas filed a complaint with the federal Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concerning the death of Michael Hickson, a Black Disabled man, at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. The complaint called for . . . “. . . an investigation of St David’s … Continue reading Michael Hickson: Disability Organizations Challenge Medical Futility & Surrogate Decisions →

Update: Minnesota Hospital Agrees to Continue Oxygen for Catie

futile care, futility, Health care decision-making, life-sustaining treatment, Minnesota, Our News & Commentary Blog, treatment withdrawal, , ,

Good news! Following intervention by attorneys, the Minnesota hospital that we previously reported had planned to stop providing oxygen to a woman with lung cancer decided to follow her wishes to continue treatment. This goes to show, as so many people with disabilities have experienced, that when there’s a power imbalance operating against you, get legal/advocate … Continue reading Update: Minnesota Hospital Agrees to Continue Oxygen for Catie →

What Can We Do When A Hospital Plans To Involuntarily Withdraw Life Support?

euthanasia, futility, Health care decision-making, life-sustaining treatment, Our News & Commentary Blog, passive euthanasia, treatment withdrawal, , ,

Friday night, I got a phone call from a woman who said that a Minnesota hospital had stated its plan for Monday at 1:00 pm to discontinue providing oxygen to her friend, Catie, a woman with lung cancer who stated that she wants to live and keep getting oxygen. NDY sometimes gets calls like this … Continue reading What Can We Do When A Hospital Plans To Involuntarily Withdraw Life Support? →