Bodycam Footage Shows Hospital Workers Dismissing His Condition As Malingering and Suggesting a Bus Station As a Discharge Option

In December 2023, staff at Providence Milwaukie Hospital in Milwaukie, Ore., called police to remove 26-year-old Jean Descamps from the emergency room, saying he had no medical problems despite being emaciated, covered in feces, and often unresponsive. Bodycam footage shows hospital workers dismissing his condition as malingering and suggesting a bus station as a discharge option. Police reluctantly wheeled Descamps outside, where he later died of an overdose from drugs already in his system.

The hospital expressed regret, saying it fell short of providing safe, compassionate care. NPR interviews with over a dozen doctors, scientists, and activists, plus a review of research and data, found this reflects a national pattern: people with addiction often receive insufficient or no treatment. Dr. Judy Chertok of the University of Pennsylvania said society would not allow heart attack patients to be turned away, calling addiction equally serious.