In December 2023, staff at Providence Milwaukie Hospital in Oregon discharged a 26-year-old patient named Jean Descamps despite his severely compromised condition. Body camera footage shows hospital workers determining he had no medical problems requiring hospitalization, with one staff member suggesting he was “malingering.” Police officers expressed concern about releasing him into the winter night, but hospital staff insisted his discharge was appropriate. Descamps died from an overdose of street drugs already present in his system shortly after being removed from the facility.
An investigation revealed hospital staff failed to administer a toxicology test before discharge. The case exemplifies a broader national crisis in addiction treatment. According to recent federal data, more than 40 million Americans struggle with serious alcohol or drug addiction, yet more than 80% of those needing help receive no medical treatment. While alcohol and drug-related disorders claim more than 250,000 lives annually, a CDC study found that more than two-thirds of Americans who died from fatal overdoses in 2024 had at least one opportunity for intervention but did not receive care.
Experts attribute the widespread failure to treat addiction to deep-rooted bias within the medical profession. A 2020 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found only one in five American physicians expressed interest in treating patients with opioid use disorders. Research shows 43% of healthcare professionals incorrectly believe medications for opioid disorders simply substitute one drug for another. Despite decades of effective treatments being available—including methadone and buprenorphine, which can reduce opioid overdose deaths by 60% to 80%—most clinicians avoid prescribing them.
The origins of this bias trace partly to America’s historical drug war, during which addiction was treated as a criminal or moral failing rather than a medical condition. Medical schools and nursing schools generally do not teach addiction care as a standard practice, leaving clinicians underprepared and uncomfortable treating these patients. Even when patients die due to inadequate care, facilities often face minimal consequences. After Descamps’ death, Providence Milwaukie Hospital promised reforms, but a follow-up investigation by the Oregon Health Authority in February 2024 found the facility still discharging vulnerable patients without proper safeguards. No disciplinary action was taken against the hospital or its staff, and Oregon officials stated the facility is no longer under scrutiny.
Medical leaders acknowledge the problem but call for patience with reform efforts. However, addiction experts and federal officials stress that current levels of care are unacceptable and that systemic change—including mandatory training in medical curricula and clear policies requiring treatment—is essential to address the ongoing crisis.
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