CVS review: Minute clinic

It's a little after midnight here in Columbus. Ohio: I still can't sleep. Memories of this evening continue to unfold in my mind; a horrifying experience that has left me and my son Landon traumatized. As a mother, and my instinctive role to advocate for my child being treated fairly, and not discriminated against due to the color of his skin; I'm hurt, victimized, and helpless that today I couldn't protect him.

On October 24th, 2023, we visited the CVS Minute Clinic:

I had scheduled an appointment for Ear Infection, Landon's ears had become impacted and was struggling to hear. The minute clinic has been my go-to for a quick health care visit. It's convenient, and affordable. CVS is in-network with my Aetna healthcare coverage, and it's an affordable alternative to the emergency room and urgent care costs. In fact, my co-pay is $15, in comparison to hefty Emergency Room bills.

However, today the two nurse practitioners on call this evening discriminated against me and Landon due to the color of our skin and refused to offer us services. Here is a timeline of the events:

7:20pm We checked into our appointment at 7:20. At 7:21, we were called back into the medical office by Nurse Practitioner 1

When we walked into the office, you can tell Nurse Practitioner 1 seemed a bit irritated, which initially was understandable because we were 10 min late for our appointment. However, a series of inappropriate comments followed. Nurse Practitioner 1 asked me for a copy of my ID, and insurance card. I explained that while rushing I left insurance card at home. I followed up with an explanation that I had visited the minute clinic on 10/14/2023, and at that time I provided my social security number, and they were able to validate my Aetna coverage. Nurse Practitioner 1 responded that she needed a member ID, she then went on to say- "You have to have insurance, is it State Health Care? " I replied, no, I have a job, and why would you think that or that even matter?"

Still irritated, Nurse Practitioner 1 picked up the phone and called Leslie Sauter who I will refer to as Nurse Practitioner 2. Nurse Practitioner 1 asked Leslie if we can look up Aetna with Social, breathing heavily she hung up the phone and said." I can't see you without healthcare." I replied " I have insurance, I have a job, let me pull it up on the insurance online portal. "About 2.5 seconds passed before Nurse Practitioner 1 advised: "sit in the lobby and pull up your card and I'll come back and get you." However, to my surprise, there were two white women in the lobby waiting, and once she opened the door for me and Landon to exit, she motioned for them to come in her medical room. This was the first moment that I realized she didn't want to service my son, and we were being discriminated against., However, with my back against the wall, I spent another 3 seconds pulling up my insurance card, in preparation for her to return. My son was in pain, and the last thing I wanted to do was leave now.

After waiting for about 5 minutes Leslie Nurse Practitioner 2, opens her office door. She comes out and says immediately without even greeting us: "I can't see you, it's too late. you got here too late. "

We disputed about my arrival time, she was both hostile, and aggressive she kept saying "You weren't ready, you didn't have your insurance ready. "I kept going back to the issue at hand that we were already being checked in and had been asked to step out of the room, when I couldn't access my insurance card, and the least she could do was see me after her peer not only insinuated, but we were also low income and had us sit in the lobby so she could service the two white consumers." Nurse Practitioner 1 could hear the yelling and stepped out of her office. Nurse Practitioner 2 told Nurse Practitioner 1 "she called you a racist and said you wouldn't see her" I wouldn't help her. Nurse Practitioner 1 replied: I'm with patients, I will see you when I'm done.

Nurse Practitioner 2 continues to argue with me as I dispute ever using the word racist, and more like implicit biasness. Nurse Practitioner 2 slams her door, and the STNA offers for me and Landon to sit in her office, she explains she will do what she can to help Nurse Practitioner 1 with the visit. I provide my passport, and insurance card. At that moment, she tells me," I don't think race has anything to do with it: they are just tired and ready to go." I explained to her that my son was in pain, in fact he was witnessing all of this that was happening, and i just wanted him to be seen. Nonetheless, a phone call from Nurse Practitioner 1 to the STNA occurred after about 5 min, I can hear the disappointment in her voice as she tried to advocate for the appointment. She hung up the phone and gave us the bad news. She offered to reschedule us, but I let her know about school in the am. Landon had already missed today. I pleaded with her to call back; she said as her supervisors she knew they wouldn't listen. She suggested I try tp knock on the door and ask myself.

7:42 PM, I knock on the door for Nurse Practitioner 1, no response. I knock on the door for Nurse Practitioner 2, when she opens, she begins to argue until I turn on my camera: Video 1 will evidence, how quickly her tone changed, and she calmed down but was inconsistent on the reasons she refused us service. She was unable to articulate a valid reason, so then began to throw out words like aggressive. She even went on to say " why would you even want me to see your son at this point?

However, I never made any threats of harm where she needed to fear for her life or call the police.

I walk Landon out to the car; I go back in and wait patiently for the police. I'm appalled at this treatment, However- If nothing else, I will document this and share to ensure "NO ONE IS EVER TREATED THIS WAY AGAIN" In my mind, I've done nothing wrong, so I wait for the police.

7:51 PM Nurse Practitioner 1 steps out of her room with her patients. Video 2 will evidence me asking her why she refused service. Nurse Practitioner 1 explained that Nurse Practitioner 2 had already agreed to see me. She then went on and said she was helping patients, and to give her a moment. In respect of their (Patients- 2 white women) time, I waited for her to come back as she advised. However, when she came back, she refused to address me and shut her door mid-sentence as evidenced in Video 3.

In all videos I'm calm, not irate or "aggressive" just a mom looking to have my questions answered.

I wait patiently for the police and give my statement. As you will see when I provide the body cam footage, the officer agrees it was " F**d Up" the body cam footage shows the emotion of a sad mom, trying to get health care services for her son. As a middle class working American, going to the ER isn't affordable. When you have insurance, you pay more than those who received subsidized benefits. However, my tears were for Landon, and the people who may have experienced this treatment and wouldn't be able to advocate for themselves as I attempted to fight for Landon. Tonight, it's clear, in these videos, that these nurses decided that we weren't good enough, white enough or important enough to be serviced and treated fairly like other consumers.

In 2020, CVS previous diversity manager quoted. " “While we know that CVS Health alone cannot erase the toll that 400 years of institutionalized racism and discrimination has taken on the Black community, we recognize that we have a role to play in living up to the potential the future holds.”

— David Casey, Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Health

It's unfortunate that those values aren't being upheld. This needs to be made right- we need to be made whole.