A Black patient is raising serious concerns about his recent hospitalization at Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, New Jersey, alleging that he experienced inadequate care, premature discharge, poor communication, and treatment that left him feeling marginalized and medically unsafe.
The patient, admitted after collapsing on a tennis court, reports that in six days of hospitalization, he was never examined by a physician. Instead, he interacted solely with nurses and physician assistants. During this period, he says he continued to suffer the same symptoms—dizziness, fainting episodes, chest heaviness, and weakness—that initially led to his emergency admission.
According to his account, diagnostic tests were performed without explanation, and results were either withheld or presented with incomplete or conflicting narratives. He states that medical staff attempted to discharge him despite persistent symptoms and without providing a follow-up discussion regarding an echocardiogram that revealed a bicuspid aortic valve—a congenital defect that can affect blood flow.
He also reports that his dietary restrictions were ignored, with meals containing red meat and cheese despite repeated requests.
One of the most troubling events he describes occurred during an attempted discharge: hospital staff reportedly instructed him to walk off the unit despite ongoing dizziness. While waiting at the pharmacy, he collapsed and had to be readmitted. He alleges that a nurse immediately went into “defensive mode” rather than assessing his condition, and that the emergency department doctor’s system review revealed that he was still listed as an admitted patient, raising questions about the legitimacy of the initial discharge.
The patient further states that a psychiatrist was sent to his room, though he had reported no psychiatric symptoms. He interprets this as part of a broader pattern in which Black patients’ physical complaints are reframed as psychological, leading to delays in proper medical evaluation.
On the day of his final discharge, an occupational therapist conducted orthostatic testing—a check for blood pressure changes with movement—and found significant fluctuations, along with visible unsteadiness in his gait. The therapist reportedly advised that he should not be discharged and recommended additional medical evaluation, including a head CT. However, the patient says no physician ever followed up, and the discharge proceeded despite these findings.
When he requested to speak with hospital leadership about his concerns, he was met with a nurse manager and a nurse practitioner—neither of whom, he reports, addressed the outstanding medical issues or explained the decisions surrounding his care.
The patient ultimately left the hospital still dizzy and weak, stating he did not feel he had received adequate care or clear medical guidance.
His experience raises pressing questions about medical equity, communication, discharge protocols, and the treatment of Black and Brown patients in clinical settings.
Hackensack Meridian Health at Riverview has not provided comment on these allegations. But we did speak with a Representative from Patient Experience about the issues and the Experience, we recorded the conversation and it’s available on The Neoliberal Round Podcast season 15 Episode 1.
