The University of Rochester Medical Center will shut down its Executive Health and Special Patient Services programs.

URMC acknowledges that the high-end special treatment for wealthy individuals was a way of perpetuating deep inequality.

1) https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/urmc-announces-plan-to-end-executive-health-special-patient-services-programs

When a whistleblower turned to @WXXINews last month, there was no guarantee that anything would change. This whistleblower was nervous about coming forward - understandably so.

We worked to earn their trust and comfort.

That person has transformed this community.

2)

At first, the focus was on vaccines. In other states, hospitals were admitting that they had invited big donors to get the vaccine before they might otherwise be able.

This whistleblower wanted us to know: this was, unfortunately, also happening here.

3)

We had already reached out to local health systems to ask if big donors had been given any special vaccine access.

No way, we were promised. No, no, no. That's not how we do things.

It turns out, that was how they did things.

4)

When @WXXINews went back to URMC with evidence that donors were given special vaccine privileges, they told us they were surprised, and that URMC's chief fundraising officer had acted on her own - and in defiance of their standards.

This was not, as it turns out, accurate.

5)

It was always strange that the chief fundraising officer would not know how things are done. This was not some brand new hire. This was the person in charge.

Oddly, URMC also told other journalists in town that this was not a story - it was no big deal.

6)

But shortly thereafter, URMC's leadership released a statement apologizing for the special vaccine access for big donors. This ran against their core values, they explained, and it would not happen again.

So yes, it was a story. But not just about vaccines.

7)

The community began asking about the concierge program, $4500 for a single day of the kinds of services that no one else can get.

One doctor emailed me to say it would take five separate referrals over several months to line up this treatment for any typical individual.

8)

Now, some people defended URMC's concierge program. The argument said, essentially, "They rake in big money from wealthy people so they can also do important work for people across the socioeconomic spectrum."

We wondered if URMC would take this line.

9)

This would have been a difficult line to take, however, considering the deep inequality in health care access and outcomes. Just how much help for people in distress was coming as a result of country club folks enjoying the spa treatment? Not enough, it appears.

10)

The Strong Hospital Ethics Committee, consisting of dozens of doctors and PhDs and ethicists, released a scathing letter to URMC leadership. They wanted this special program dropped.

11)

Today we see the response: URMC will indeed end the big money concierge treatment.

Taubman: “Discontinuing programs that focused on a relatively small number of privileged individuals will enable us to improve access to services of exceptional quality for all patients.”

12)

This statement is key: Taubman is saying that, contrary to what defenders have claimed, the concierge program has taken access AWAY from individuals who are not as fortunate. That's a massive admission, and an admirable one.

13)

Of course, the proof will be in the actions, not the public statements. Many hospitals offer special treatment for wealthy folks, without the gauzy website that looks like a west coast resort.

But I suspect URMC's own staff will police this going forward.

14)

And that's the final point. This all started because one whistleblower trusted @WXXINews. Turns out that many URMC employees felt the same way, and are cheering this change.

If this whistleblower ever publicly identifies themselves, they should be promoted and thanked.

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