Escape from the Mayo Clinic: Teen accuses hospital of 'medical kidnapping'

Anecdata: Have been there multiple times for treatment of a severely handicapped child. Found them to be the best run hospital I have ever visited by far, and I have more than one severely handicapped child. I see a lot of hospitals every year.

Not to say this didn't happen. The story seems surprisingly well reported and sourced. If it's true I hope the hammer falls on the people responsible. But anyone who has been on the business end of a journalist knows that accurate reportage is exceptionally rare.

> Alyssa signed the form, but Plumbo declined to answer CNN's questions on the record.

This is such an infuriatingly typical corporate sleazebag move: "We can't comment because of privacy reasons." Consent is provided. "Uhhhh actually still no comment."

A hyper-cautious approach might hypothetically provide some marginal protection in the case of a lawsuit, but it sure makes you look like garbage to any independent reporter.

I decided I can't say as much as I originally did, but I've observed first hand, in a close relative, how the Mayo Clinics misdiagnosed and mis-treated a problem for three years. It was only a chance conversation with a business associate, who had a family member who was expeditiously and effectively treated for the same class of problem, that resulted in my relative seeing their doctor and getting that effective treatment. Only, in three years, a lot of systemic and chronic damage had been done.

This treatment was, is the standard first course of treatment for my relative's circumstances and symptoms. It was perhaps unusual for Minnesota, but not some rare condition -- hardly.

The Mayo Clinics continue to have a stellar reputation. However, I've observed what I consider gross incompetence on their part, along with apparent closed-mindedness to... what? Effectively interrogating the case and actually researching what the rest of the world does about it?

I'm not free, on a personal level, to go into the details.

But I learned that you can trust no place, based solely on their reputation.

And reputation seems to breed arrogance and dismissiveness that is counter-productive -- outright harmful.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the parents had 'good' insurance and the Mayo saw a way to milk it to the lifetime maximum. Don't let 'em go until you milk 'em dry...

Disgusting behavior.