Lifespan January 28, 2015 Mr. James McConnell 12 L i n c o l n P a r k R o a d , A p t . C Preston, C T 0 6 3 6 5 - g ' S p l i Dear Mr. McConnell: I a m the v i c e president o f R i s k M a n a g e m e n t at L i f e s p a n , the parent c o r p o r a t i o n f o r R h o d e I s l a n d Hospital. I have r e v i e w e d and investigated the recent complaints that y o u have m a d e w i t h regard to y o u r e v a l u a t i o n f o r t r a n s p l a n t services at t h e H o s p i t a l f r o m J u n e - A u g u s t , 2 0 1 4 . T h e H o s p i t a l ' s e x e c u t i v e vice president f o r P h y s i c i a n A f f a i r s has attempted to reach y o u by p h o n e and in w r i t t e n correspondence to address y o u r concerns, but was told that y o u w e r e not able or w i l l i n g to speak w i t h h i m . A s such, I a m w r i t i n g this letter both to respond t o y o u r concerns, and to c o m m u n i c a t e issues that Lifespan's legal d e p a r t m e n t has raised w i t h r e g a r d t o c e r t a i n aspects o f y o u r recent social m e d i a p o s t i n g s a n d the w e b s i t e you created. T h e H o s p i t a l ' s T r a n s p l a n t t e a m f o l l o w e d its standard p r o t o c o l s w h e n i t t h o r o u g h l y c o n s i d e r e d y o u r candidacy for organ transplant. F o l l o w i n g their assessment, the team w r o t e to y o u and i n f o r m e d y o u that that y o u w o u l d n o t be placed o n t h e t r a n s p l a n t list because y o u p r e s e n t e d a s i g n i f i c a n t r i s k o f n o n compliance w i t h the transplant program requirements and post-transplantation infection, and ultimately possible o r g a n rejection. W h i l e the t e a m regrets t u r n i n g a n y patient a w a y , it m u s t f o l l o w rigid protocols to e n s u r e t h a t t h e v e r y l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f t r a n s p l a n t a b l e o r g a n s is p r o v i d e d t o t h e p a t i e n t s w h o a r e m o s t l i k e l y t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e r i g o r o u s p r e - a n d p o s t - t r a n s p l a n t a t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t s so as t o a v o i d i n f e c t i o n a n d r e j e c t i o n . T o be clear, it w a s n o t y o u r p e r s o n a l beliefs t h a t f o r m e d t h e basis f o r t h e d e c i s i o n , b u t rather y o u ' r e p a s t m e d i c a l h i s t o r y as w e l l as y o u r c o n s i s t e n t s t a t e m e n t s i n w h i c h y o u i n d i c a t e d t h a t y o u m i g h t not c o m p l y w i t h the p r o g r a m ' s r e q u i r e m e n t s . In response t o y o u r recent e m a i l and letter t o the H o s p i t a l ' s patient l i a i s o n office, please be advised that the H o s p i t a l w i l l n o t be p r o v i d i n g a n y m o n e t a r y c o m p e n s a t i o n t o y o u , or be m a k i n g a d o n a t i o n t o a n y o f your organizations. A s well, the Hospital w i l l not provide an interview or statement for the documentary y o u are m a k i n g . F u r t h e r , L i f e s p a n ' s l e g a l d e p a r t m e n t has a s k e d t h a t I i n f o r m y o u t h a t i t is c o n s i d e r i n g t a k i n g l e g a l a c t i o n related to the f o l l o w i n g aspects o f y o u r recent postings o n social m e d i a and the website y o u ' v e created to promote your documentary: • O u r legal d e p a r t m e n t believes that y o u r u n a u t h o r i z e d use and registration o f the d o m a i n n a m e " R I H o s p i t a l T r a n s p l a n t . c o m " constitutes a violation o f the anti-cybersquatting provisions o f the federal L a n h a m ( T r a d e m a r k ) A c t . Y o u do not have a legitimate right or interest in R h o d e Island H o s p i t a l ' s registered n a m e , and w e believe y o u are using t h e d o m a i n n a m e in bad faith asa w a y t h a t can o r m a y c o n f u s e t h e p u b l i c . W e ask t h a t y o u i m m e d i a t e l y r e n a m e y o u r site t o o n e t h a t does not create this sort o f confusion. Risk Management T h e C O R O B u i l d i n g , 1 6 7 P o i n t S t r e e t , P r o v i d e n c e , Ri 0 2 9 0 3 Tel 4 0 1 4 4 4 - 8 2 6 5 Fax 4 0 1 4 4 4 - 8 9 6 3 Mr. James McConnell January 28, 2015 Page 2 • Y o u r u n a u t h o r i z e d use o f the H o s p i t a l ' s p h o t o g r a p h s a n d v i d e o s v i o l a t e s t h e H o s p i t a l ' s copyright rights under the federal C o p y r i g h t A c t . W e request that y o u i m m e d i a t e l y take d o w n all the copyrighted photographs o f the Hospital's staff m e m b e r s (specifically, the photographs o f Drs. S h e m i n and Fischer), and the videos that y o u t o o k f r o m the Hospital's website and posted without the Hospital's permission. • O n y o u r website and in y o u r social m e d i a postings, y o u have attributed quoted statements to H o s p i t a l staff that y o u k n o w the staff did not m a k e . These false and d e f a m a t o r y statements m u s t be r e m o v e d . T h i s s p e c i f i c a l l y includes, at a m i n i m u m , t h e repeated s t a t e m e n t t h a t y o u w e r e deemed ineligible for an organ transplant " f o r y o u r beliefs." N o one affiliated or associated w i t h t h e H o s p i t a l e v e r m a d e s u c h a s t a t e m e n t . R a t h e r , as set f o r t h a b o v e , a n d as y o u w e r e t o l d , t h a t determination w a s made o n the basis o f objective medical criteria and standard medical protocols. • F i n a l l y , y o u h a v e i n c l u d e d s e v e r a l m e d i a o u t l e t s as " s c r e e n i n g c o m p a n i e s " o n y o u r w e b s i t e . A s a r e m i n d e r , i f y o u d o n o t h a v e p e r m i s s i o n t o use t h e i r t r a d e m a r k s i n this m a n n e r , a n y o f those m e d i a c o m p a n i e s can b r i n g a c l a i m against y o u for t r a d e m a r k i n f r i n g e m e n t . In closing, 1 w o u l d like to reiterate that the Transplant t e a m t h o r o u g h l y evaluated y o u r candidacy and, o n the basis o f objective findings, d e t e r m i n e d that y o u w e r e not a candidate due to r i s k o f i n f e c t i o n and o r g a n r e j e c t i o n . I t is the H o s p i t a l ' s sincere h o p e that y o u attain g o o d h e a l t h and t h a t y o u u l t i m a t e l y w i l l be e l i g i b l e f o r p l a c e m e n t o n a t r a n s p l a n t list. Sincerely, Joan Flynn V i c e President, R i s k Management JF:vt U P S I Z 19R 7 8 V 03 9335 0519