I am a 52-year-old survivor of incest. Writing those words is never easy, but they matter. They explain why I know, firsthand, how medical systems can retraumatize the very people they’re supposed to help. Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But without trauma-informed care, they can become places of harm. My brother Cory’s story shows just how devastating that harm can be.
Cory’s Story: My brother Cory was an incest survivor. He endured rape, beatings, and emotional abuse from our father throughout his entire childhood. As an adult, he carried those scars into every part of his life—including medical settings.
One day, Cory was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, part of the MultiCare Health System. The reason for his admission doesn’t matter. What matters is how he was treated when he asked for one simple, reasonable accommodation.
Cory told the staff he could not handle having a male nurse or doctor examine him, place a catheter, or remove one. His request was not about preference—it was about survival. For a man raped throughout his childhood by a male perpetrator, having a male provider touch him in that vulnerable state would send him spiraling into panic and flashbacks.
Cory asked for a female nurse and doctor.
I asked again on his behalf, begging the staff to find anyone trained in trauma-informed care.
And both times, we were denied.
Instead of compassion, Cory was retraumatized. Instead of dignity, he was chased out of the hospital by security guards dressed like police officers. My brother—already in distress, already vulnerable—was treated as a problem to be removed rather than a human being in need of care.
He left the hospital retraumatized and untreated.
Why Did Good Samaritan Fail? Why would Good Samaritan deny such a basic, life-saving request?
What Trauma-Informed Care Could Have Looked LikeGood Samaritan—and every hospital—must understand what trauma-informed care means:
Accountability Matters. Good Samaritan and the MultiCare Health System must answer for what happened to my brother.
A Call to Readers: If you are a survivor, know this:
Your needs are valid.
You deserve safe, compassionate care.
If you have been denied that, you are not alone.
If you are part of the medical system, ask yourself:
Would my hospital know how to respond differently? Would we have retraumatized Cory—or would we have cared for him with compassion?
It’s time for every hospital—including Good Samaritan—to answer these questions and act. Because healing should never come at the cost of retraumatization. And care without compassion is not care at all.
Cory’s Story: My brother Cory was an incest survivor. He endured rape, beatings, and emotional abuse from our father throughout his entire childhood. As an adult, he carried those scars into every part of his life—including medical settings.
One day, Cory was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, part of the MultiCare Health System. The reason for his admission doesn’t matter. What matters is how he was treated when he asked for one simple, reasonable accommodation.
Cory told the staff he could not handle having a male nurse or doctor examine him, place a catheter, or remove one. His request was not about preference—it was about survival. For a man raped throughout his childhood by a male perpetrator, having a male provider touch him in that vulnerable state would send him spiraling into panic and flashbacks.
Cory asked for a female nurse and doctor.
I asked again on his behalf, begging the staff to find anyone trained in trauma-informed care.
And both times, we were denied.
Instead of compassion, Cory was retraumatized. Instead of dignity, he was chased out of the hospital by security guards dressed like police officers. My brother—already in distress, already vulnerable—was treated as a problem to be removed rather than a human being in need of care.
He left the hospital retraumatized and untreated.
Why Did Good Samaritan Fail? Why would Good Samaritan deny such a basic, life-saving request?
- Lack of training: Staff did not recognize the request as trauma-related.
- Failure of systems: No clear policy existed to respond to survivors’ needs.
- Lack of humanity: Instead of stopping to listen, they escalated the situation with force.
What Trauma-Informed Care Could Have Looked LikeGood Samaritan—and every hospital—must understand what trauma-informed care means:
- Listening to and honoring patient requests.
- Training staff to recognize trauma responses.
- Explaining procedures with clarity and compassion.
- Providing choices whenever possible.
- Ensuring that “safety and dignity first” is a hospital-wide value, not an afterthought.
Accountability Matters. Good Samaritan and the MultiCare Health System must answer for what happened to my brother.
- Why was Cory’s request denied?
- Why were no trauma-informed providers available—or sought out?
- Why was security, not compassion, the response to a survivor’s fear?
A Call to Readers: If you are a survivor, know this:
Your needs are valid.
You deserve safe, compassionate care.
If you have been denied that, you are not alone.
If you are part of the medical system, ask yourself:
Would my hospital know how to respond differently? Would we have retraumatized Cory—or would we have cared for him with compassion?
It’s time for every hospital—including Good Samaritan—to answer these questions and act. Because healing should never come at the cost of retraumatization. And care without compassion is not care at all.
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