Last week, Duke Hospital announced the creation of a $4 million fund in honor of failed heart-lung transplant patient Jesica Santillan. While the fund in no way makes up for the mistakes leading to Jesica's death, it will serve to increase support services available to Latino families seeking medical treatment in the future.
Access to the fund will be limited to immigrant Latino families like the Santillans. It will provide support services including temporary housing, food and interpreters to young Latino patients and their families. By chosing the current plan, Duke is correctly acknowledging the obstacles faced specficially by immigrant families who attempt to obtain medical treatment in the United States. The percentage of Latino in the community is continuing to grow rapidly, and demand for the services provided by the Jesica fund will be high.
The establishment of the fund is an honorable act in memory of Jesica and her family, and will serve to benefit future patients who seek medical treatment at Duke. However, it will remain a positive gesture only as long as Duke does not attempt to leverage the fund in the courtroom, or in the court of public opinion, to lessen its responisibility for her death. The fault was clearly Duke's, and members of the medical community must not lose sight of that fact.
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