The Justice Department on Sept. 12 filed a complaint alleging Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Health System denied patients with disabilities the ability to be accompanied by a family member, personal aide or other support person when receiving care.
In doing so, the health system violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the federal government. The complaint alleges that between October 2020 and May 2023 — when COVID-19-related visitor restrictions were in place — some patients with disabilities were not permitted to bring their support person with them, despite Johns Hopkins' own policies allowing support persons for disabled patients.
The complaint described several cases in which disabled patients who presented to the emergency department were not permitted to have their support person accompany them throughout their visit.
Federal officials and Johns Hopkins have also proposed a consent decree in which the system has agreed to pay $150,000 to compensate those affected, as well as update and train employees on its support-person policies to ensure ADA compliance. The consent decree must be approved by a judge.
As part of the settlement, Johns Hopkins has not admitted liability.
"Patients with disabilities may need the assistance of a support person, like a family member or aide, to have equal access to health care, especially during emergencies," Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said in a news release. "Policies and training go hand in hand when it comes to ensuring that healthcare providers and their employees are protecting patient rights and not excluding support persons improperly."
Johns Hopkins denies the allegations, calling measures laid out in the consent decree "an amicable resolution."
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine maintained an unwavering focus on providing the highest levels of patient care, and we believe these allegations are without merit," a spokesperson for the system said in a statement to Becker's. "During that unprecedented time, we recognized the importance of care partners for patients and had clear policies available on our hospital websites. We remain committed to inclusive, accessible care and continuous improvement in our practices, and will provide updated trainings for our team members."