- Doctors at NYU Langone told the New York Times they are pressure to give preferential treatment to wealthy and connected clients.
- The Times investigation said that trustees got priority access to a private room and phone line.
- Former staffers said they resigned from NYU's emergency department because they objected to favoring VIPs.
Dozens of doctors at New York University Langone Health said they felt pressure to prioritize well-connected patients over sicker people, namely in the hospital system's Manhattan emergency department, according to a New York Times investigation out today.
The investigation documented a pattern of privileged treatment at NYU's Ronald O. Perelman Center for Emergency Services, where workers allege that one of the largest private rooms has been repeatedly set aside for VIPs.
They also said that chart notes and emails have flagged VIPs for priority treatment, which may include access to the special room or jumping the line for an MRI. There's even a dedicated phone line that trustees can call to let the hospital know they are en route, 30 doctors told the Times.
Reporters with the Times interviewed 45 medical workers in their investigation of the nonprofit hospital — among them, 11 said they resigned from NYU's emergency department, in part because they objected to favoring VIPs.
While representatives of NYU told the Times that the phone line "does not entitle any member to better or prioritized care," current and former hospital workers said trustee calls were interpreted as such. The Times also reviewed screenshots where doctors were told to "keep an eye out" for VIPs, among other internal hospital documents that reflected a pattern of prioritization.
"It didn't matter how busy it was," said Dr. Uché Blackstock, who worked in the emergency room from 2010 to 2019. "A VIP was coming, and we had to drop everything."
Doctors quit over pressure to prioritize VIPs, the Times reported
Many doctors described a room that's been reserved for high-priority patients, and say it might have nothing to do with their medical status.
Several current and former NYU employees said Room 20, a spacious private room located close to the ambulance bay, was kept empty for influential donors, like hospital namesake Kenneth G. Langone.
Family members of VIPs — like Senator Chuck Schumer's wife, who came to the ER for an expedited COVID-19 test in spring 2022 — also were given preferential treatment while sicker patients were seen in hallways, workers told the Times.
"As emergency department doctors, we have two important skills: triage and resuscitation," Dr. Kimbia Arno, who worked in the emergency room in 2020 and 2021 before she resigned, told the Times. "This system is in direct defiance of what we do and what we were trained to do."
In an email to Insider, a spokesperson for NYU Langone Health said: "We strongly disagree with the accusations made in today's article as it is based on distorted and outright fabricated allegations from sources with an agenda."
Still, former staff said the stress associated with VIP requests is actively harming providers, and in many cases, leading them to leave the hospital system entirely.