Doctor Sues Bay Shore Hospital Alleging Decades Of Discrimination

BAY SHORE, NY — A Black doctor is suing Northwell's South Shore University Hospital, claiming she faced decades of discrimination that cost her a yearly loss of income of about $900,000 since 2004.

Dr. Leigh Ann Hutchinson, an electrophysiologist, or a cardiologist that specializes in a heart's electrical system, filed a lawsuit against the Bay Shore hospital March 20.

Hutchinson started working for the hospital in 1999, founded the hospital’s first-ever electrophysiology or EP lab, and was also named its director. She performed more than 200 cardiac ablation procedures in the hospital from 2000 to 2004.

In July 2004, a patient of Hutchinson died of complications after a surgery. She was placed on a temporary prohibition while the hospital reviewed whether her actions complied with policies.

Hutchinson also independently enlisted other peers to perform separate review.

Both panels found her actions complied with hospital policy, and that the death was an expected result of the procedure, the hospital disciplined Hutchinson with a three-month probation, the lawsuit said.

In that time period, she could not perform certain procedures.

No white, male doctor employed by the hospital had faced such disciplinary action for a patient death, the lawsuit said.

As the only Black electrophysiologist at the hospital, she submitted a written complaint to former general counsel Julie Switzer, amongst others, detailing her objection to the moratorium. Specifically, Hutchinson expressed that she believed she was being discriminated against and subjected to disparate treatment.

The hospital continued to block her from performing basic and non-complex procedures after the moratorium ended, "in retaliation to complaining of discrimination," the lawsuit said. The hospital also stripped Hutchinson of her director title, the lawsuit said.

Before the patient's death, Hutchinson’s salary grossed around an estimated $1 million.

Due to the “disparate treatment” and discrimination that would follow, her salary "dwindled" to about $100,000 to $200,000 in 2022, the suit said.

In a statement to Patch, a Northwell representative said:

“Northwell Health nurtures a culture that supports equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where every team member and patient is treated with dignity and respect and feels welcomed, valued and heard. As this matter is in active litigation, it is our policy not to comment regarding the allegations.”

Hutchinson said she was forced to work in a hostile work environment, and continued to experience restrictions for the next several years.

In 2007, Northwell’s South Shore University Hospital acquired control over the electrophysiology lab at South Nassau Hospital, located at One Healthy Way in Oceanside, where Hutchinson also worked.

The hospital continued to discriminate against Hutchinson at the lab, referencing one nurse who “routinely screamed and acted aggressively” toward her, the lawsuit said. This nurse did not act this way to the white, male doctors at the lab, the suit alleged.

The hospital also refused to schedule cases or provide patient information. Due to the “general hostility,” Hutchinson was “forced” to find another facility to treat patients, the lawsuit said.

Through her continued employment with Northwell, the hospital refused Hutchinson several patient cases. The small amount of cases she acquired made her ineligible to perform certain complex procedures, she alleged.

In 2013, hospital staff removed Hutchinson from the echocardiography reading schedule, saying she had not passed the Echocardiography Board Exam. However, other male counterparts who did not pass the exam were not treated as such, the lawsuit said.

In 2017, two emergency medicine physicians were told by the hospital to not refer Hutchinson as a doctor, the lawsuit said.

She also would be continued to be removed from the echocardiography reading schedule in 2021.

Due to a lack of procedures and patient care, Hutchinson’s income was about $100,000 to $200,000, while her male counterparts on average earned about $3 million.

In 2021, Hutchinson filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights, alleging unlawful discrimination by Northwell Health.

The lawsuit said that due to this long-term discrimination, she has suffered “future pecuniary losses, emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, and other severe emotional and physical distress.”

Hutchinson is demanding a jury by trial, the lawsuit said.

Patch has reached out to Marjorie Mesidor, Hutchinson’s attorney, for comment.