Morehouse Healthcare complaint alleges refusal to treat before appendicitis surgery
The complaint alleges that a patient arrived for a Morehouse Healthcare appointment with severe abdominal pain and was refused examination or treatment because she could not pay a small co-payment. The patient later sought emergency care elsewhere after her pain worsened, was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, and underwent an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy. The delay caused unnecessary physical suffering and emotional distress.
Overview
This page concerns a public complaint alleging that Morehouse Healthcare and a family-medicine physician refused to evaluate a patient with acute abdominal pain before she later required emergency appendicitis surgery.
Chronology
The complaint alleges as follows:
- The patient was advised in January 2023 to see a gynecologist after an abnormal Pap smear.
- The patient established care with Folashade Omole, M.D. at Morehouse Healthcare on March 6, 2023.
- The patient arrived for a July 17, 2023 appointment in severe abdominal pain but was refused service because she could not pay a small co-payment.
- The patient was transported by ambulance to a hospital on July 22, 2023 after the pain worsened.
- The patient was diagnosed with acute appendicitis at Piedmont Hospital and underwent emergency laparoscopic appendectomy.
Alleged failures
The complaint alleges the following failures:
- Dr. Omole failed to inquire into the patient’s physical condition before refusing treatment.
- Morehouse Healthcare failed to adequately triage the patient’s condition when she arrived in pain.
- The defendants failed to recognize or evaluate symptoms of appendicitis.
- Refusal to provide medical services because of the co-payment delayed care and caused an emergency operation.