Mary Shannon
@marymshannon.bsky.social
social worker & researcher | STL
she/her | views = mine
she/her | views = mine
It's *exhausting* to be a patient in the U.S. healthcare system.
November 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
It's *exhausting* to be a patient in the U.S. healthcare system.
This isn't about medical debt, but it is the same pattern: patients forced to absorb every bit of the system's dysfunction.
Hours on hold, weeks on wait lists, months or even years without necessary care...
Hours on hold, weeks on wait lists, months or even years without necessary care...
November 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
This isn't about medical debt, but it is the same pattern: patients forced to absorb every bit of the system's dysfunction.
Hours on hold, weeks on wait lists, months or even years without necessary care...
Hours on hold, weeks on wait lists, months or even years without necessary care...
Someone run the ROI for me: is $335,000 over 3.5 years enough to save 300 jobs?
October 2, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Someone run the ROI for me: is $335,000 over 3.5 years enough to save 300 jobs?
For context: I'm not aware of any law "requiring" them to pursue medical debt in court, and while the targeting may not be intentional, the impact is clearly disproportionate in certain communities.
October 2, 2025 at 7:45 PM
For context: I'm not aware of any law "requiring" them to pursue medical debt in court, and while the targeting may not be intentional, the impact is clearly disproportionate in certain communities.
They did. When @stlpublicradio.bsky.social covered our research, WashU gave this statement. They emphasized their overall charity care & denied "targeting" anyone.
![Screenshot from St. Louis Public Radio's coverage of the research, which includes a response from WashU. The text in the screenshot reads:
"WashU officials said those affected by the lawsuits represent a small sliver of the patients the medical group has treated. During the time period of the study, WashU Physicians treated nearly 1.5 million patients and provided $752 million in uncompensated care, “underscoring [Wash U’s] role as a critical safety net provider for the uninsured and underinsured,” said spokeswoman Julie Flory.
“In some cases, we are required to pursue collection of amounts owed by patients and only do so with people who have the means to pay, excluding, for example, those who are unemployed, work part-time, or are paying child support,” Flory continued. “We offer assistance to patients with financial needs. Any suggestion that we would target individuals from certain groups for debt collection is false and misguided, and anything that attempts to draw such a conclusion should be closely examined.”"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bdmzqedtpt7cuujbgpylbcs4/bafkreidrr7mv7ucr3p7cwqy73zlw5h7y3nty5j2ostca3375z6grggomoi@jpeg)
October 2, 2025 at 7:45 PM
They did. When @stlpublicradio.bsky.social covered our research, WashU gave this statement. They emphasized their overall charity care & denied "targeting" anyone.
So grateful for your support in sharing this, Dr. Chino! Excited to share more from STL soon.
August 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
So grateful for your support in sharing this, Dr. Chino! Excited to share more from STL soon.
11/ I owe enormous gratitude to the Center for Social Development at WashU & @moconsumer.bsky.social for their encouragement, insight, and belief in the project, especially Dr. Michael Sherraden, Chris Leiker, Sandra Padgett, & Ed Weisbart. This work wouldn't have been possible without them.
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
11/ I owe enormous gratitude to the Center for Social Development at WashU & @moconsumer.bsky.social for their encouragement, insight, and belief in the project, especially Dr. Michael Sherraden, Chris Leiker, Sandra Padgett, & Ed Weisbart. This work wouldn't have been possible without them.
10/ The pattern is clear: tax-exempt, mission-driven institutions suing low-income, mostly Black communities over small sums. We hope this research contributes to a more equitable system.
Read the full study here: ja.ma/3In6gkj
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Read the full study here: ja.ma/3In6gkj
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Lawsuits for Unpaid Medical Bills and the Role of Physician Groups
This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence and impact of physician-driven medical debt lawsuits among Black, low-income, and other marginalized communities.
ja.ma
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
10/ The pattern is clear: tax-exempt, mission-driven institutions suing low-income, mostly Black communities over small sums. We hope this research contributes to a more equitable system.
Read the full study here: ja.ma/3In6gkj
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Read the full study here: ja.ma/3In6gkj
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
9/ These lawsuits weren't filed by hospitals, but by university-affiliated physician groups, raising serious questions about institutional values, charity care, and community impact.
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
9/ These lawsuits weren't filed by hospitals, but by university-affiliated physician groups, raising serious questions about institutional values, charity care, and community impact.
8/ Wage garnishment orders were even issued against employees of local hospital systems and against the universities themselves.
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
8/ Wage garnishment orders were even issued against employees of local hospital systems and against the universities themselves.
7/ The burden wasn't equally shared:
🔹 Majority-Black ZIP codes represent 22% of the region's population, but they accounted for:
🔸 41% of lawsuits
🔸 47% of total judgments
🔸 48% of wage garnishments
🔹 Majority-Black ZIP codes represent 22% of the region's population, but they accounted for:
🔸 41% of lawsuits
🔸 47% of total judgments
🔸 48% of wage garnishments
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
7/ The burden wasn't equally shared:
🔹 Majority-Black ZIP codes represent 22% of the region's population, but they accounted for:
🔸 41% of lawsuits
🔸 47% of total judgments
🔸 48% of wage garnishments
🔹 Majority-Black ZIP codes represent 22% of the region's population, but they accounted for:
🔸 41% of lawsuits
🔸 47% of total judgments
🔸 48% of wage garnishments
6/ Here's what we found:
🔹55% of lawsuits led to judgments
🔹87% of those were default judgments (the patient didn’t appear)
🔹The average judgment: just under $2,000
🔹The smallest: $104
🔹55% of lawsuits led to judgments
🔹87% of those were default judgments (the patient didn’t appear)
🔹The average judgment: just under $2,000
🔹The smallest: $104
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
6/ Here's what we found:
🔹55% of lawsuits led to judgments
🔹87% of those were default judgments (the patient didn’t appear)
🔹The average judgment: just under $2,000
🔹The smallest: $104
🔹55% of lawsuits led to judgments
🔹87% of those were default judgments (the patient didn’t appear)
🔹The average judgment: just under $2,000
🔹The smallest: $104
5/ We carried out this work independently and without funding. No grants, no institutional affiliation — just a Google spreadsheet, a lot of late nights, and a few social workers committed to uncovering and understanding the issue in our community.
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
5/ We carried out this work independently and without funding. No grants, no institutional affiliation — just a Google spreadsheet, a lot of late nights, and a few social workers committed to uncovering and understanding the issue in our community.