A hospital employee on Long Island is no longer working there after an Instagram post allegedly shows her private message in which she said Black and Hispanic patients are there either because they got shot or because they're drunk.
The woman, identified as Emily Patysiak on the social media post, is a nursing student and was a health care worker at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore up until Thursday, Northwell Health confirmed to NBC New York. After an investigation, the hospital said Patysiak's racist views "were disturbing and have no place in our organization."
In the profanity-laced messages by Patysiak, she self-admitted that she is racist and that she will never marry or date anyone besides a white person because "I do think Hispanics and blacks are f---ing lazy. And a part of gangs."
Race and racism have long played into the disparity in health care. As the Instagram user who exposed Patysiak's views noted: "This right here is why I feel my cousin didn't get the proper treatment after he was shot in March."
Research has shown that people of color are less likely to receive preventive health services and often receive lower-quality care.
"Understandably, the comments caused hurt, pain and anger among those who saw them...Northwell condemns and does not tolerate any form of hate, racism, discrimination and harassment," the hospital said.
