Patient Safety | 06.01.23
Philly Woman Sues Nurse Who Berated Her During Her Pregnancy in a 2022 Viral Video
by Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia-area nurse Theresa Smigo is being sued in federal court after she was caught on video last autumn aggressively questioning a patient’s medical concerns and warning her it would constitute "fraud" if she missed work because of pregnancy-related pain. Filed in the U.S. Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the lawsuit is the latest fallout from a video that went viral showing Smigo, a nurse at Philly Pregnancy Center's Norristown clinic, expressing doubt that Jillian Rightmyer was in pain bad enough to warrant an early maternity leave. Even after a licensed physician agreed to give Rightmyer a note excusing her from work, Smigo continued doubting the pregnant patient's condition. After Rightmyer recorded and posted her interaction with Smigo on TikTok, its depiction of conflict between a white health-care provider and a Black, Muslim pregnant woman drew outrage. The lawsuit claims the nurse was negligent, racially discriminated against Rightmyer, and did not provide proper medical care. The suit also alleges assault and battery and seeks unspecified damages.
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