Mark Thompson, a Black man from Worcester, Mass, is suing UMass Memorial Health for $5 million, according to local news. He accuses the hospital of racial bias, saying the treatment he received nearly cost him his life by delaying critical kidney care. 

Hospital staff allegedly brushed off his symptoms, misread lab results, and ignored his concerns until his condition became an emergency. He is now living with no kidneys. 

According to the complaint, in September 2016, Thompson’s kidney function levels sharply declined to the point where he should have been placed on the national kidney waiting list. He wasn’t placed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) transplant waitlist until July 2017.

“UMass failed to register Mr. Thompson on the national kidney waitlist nor even advise Mr. Thompson that it was using a race-based test to monitor his kidney function,” the suit claims.

For many Black patients, Thompson’s story is familiar: He arrived at UMass Memorial’s emergency department with severe pain, nausea, and other signs of kidney trouble but was sent home after what he describes as a dismissive exam. He says clinicians downplayed his symptoms and failed to order the tests that would have revealed his kidneys were in serious distress.

When he returned days later, his lawsuit claims, doctors finally discovered significant kidney damage, and he ultimately required intensive care. The suit argues that if he were white, his pain and lab work would have been taken more seriously on the first visit.

“Mr. Thompson has been forced to have conversations with his wife and children about the possibility that he may die waiting for a kidney,” the lawsuit states. “The emotional distress this entire ordeal has caused to Mr. Thompson and his family is severe to the point it is difficult to capture in words.”

The case is also a part of a larger lawsuit involving multiple discrimination complaints against the UNOS organization, according to Reuters. UNOS addressed its former race-based practices in 2023. 

Thompson’s legal team is asking for $5 million in damages, citing emotional distress, physical harm, and the long-term impact of kidney injury on his health and future. The lawsuit also calls for systemic changes at UMass Memorial, including better training on racial bias and stronger oversight of how emergency staff evaluate Black patients.