A Broken Promise: When Medical Systems Fail the Most Vulnerable
- urologyxy
- Apr 5
- 1 min read
In a deeply troubling case, Darryl Young underwent a heart transplant at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in 2018, hoping for a new beginning after living with heart failure. Tragically, he suffered severe brain damage during surgery due to extremely low blood pressure and never regained consciousness. A 2019 ProPublica investigation revealed that hospital staff were under pressure to improve survival statistics, allegedly influencing decisions to keep Young alive at all costs—even when medically futile. Audio recordings revealed that the transplant director discouraged comfort care to avoid damaging the program’s reputation.
Young’s sister, Andrea, was not fully informed of his condition and later filed a malpractice lawsuit, alleging negligence, poor monitoring during surgery, and failure to ask about advance directives. A federal probe concluded the hospital put patients in “immediate jeopardy.” Despite this, the hospital’s transplant program continues to operate, though recent data shows survival rates remain below average.
Andrea Young seeks accountability, not only for her brother but to prevent future harm. The lawsuit also cites HIPAA violations and ongoing issues at the facility. For families of vulnerable patients, especially those with complex needs like incontinence, this case highlights the critical importance of transparency, communication, and ethical care.
Chen, C. (2024, October 2). A hospital kept a brain-damaged patient on life support to boost statistics. His sister is now suing for malpractice. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/newark-beth-israel-lawsuit-darryl-young-heart-transplant
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