Re: You almost killed me.



T

Twittering One

Guest
What did they do? If it is too hard to talk about don't worry we will
understand. But I'm sure many of us would love to help you get over it.


17 October 2005

Thomas Feurstein
Office of Compliance
NYU Medical Center
NY NY 10016

Dear Mr. Feerustein:

I just received your Official letter from NYU Medical Center, regarding
my privacy complaints as well as Matthew B. Smith's consult with
Henry Weinstein, MD, Chair, NYU Medical Center Ethics Committee.

When we spoke on the telephone, in August 2005, you told me this is not
an NYU Medical Center issue and you know nothing about any Ethics
Consult with the NYU Medical Center Ethics Committee, and Henry
Weinstein, MD, Chair, as described in Matthew B. Smith's medical
records of my case, presented October 8, 2005, to Weinstein, MD.

Your letter to me says the following:

[Begin quote]

Dear. Ms. Hooper:

We are in receipt of your various concerns and requests for medical
records from Dr. Matthew Smith. According to Dr. Smith all records
requested have been sent to you and should be in your possession. Dr.
Smith also discussed the above receipt of records with you during
previous communications.

NYU Hospitals Center has no control over the care delivered by
practitioners in their
private practices. If you would like to file a complaint against a
physician, you may send
your complaint directly to the Department of Health as listed below.

We are sorry we were unable to meet your expectations.

[Info on NY State Dept Health].

[End of quote]

Your response to my complaints filed do not address my privacy
complaint or the NYU Ethics Committee consult, as described in
Smith's records.

As I told you on the telephone in August 2004, Smith told me Rivamonte
and Goodman had an affair. I reported to Goodman as part of my NYU CSC
role as a volunteer. My relationship with Goodman stood as an extremely
dangerous conflict of interest in my psychotherapy with Rivamonte. My
role as an NYU volunteer endangered my life by this conflict of
interest. She made it clear to me that she and Goodman knew one
another.

Rivamonte, over a period a year and a half, beginning with my work at
NYU, spring 2003, exploited me for information, regarding my
relationship with Goodman. Rivamonte's behavior was so volatile over
this issue, I terminated therapy with her in summer of 2003. I told
Smith of this effect, but at that time, I did not grasp or understand
the reason why.

I later returned to therapy with Rivamonte in March 2004, and I asked
her the first session if this was a problem. She told me the
relationship "was close."

I did not know at time what she meant, but I understood the topic was
off limits in my therapy with Rivamonte.

Over a period of weeks, as I attempted to explore the death my parents,
as a child, because I was working on a book on suicide for children, my
state of mind descended so rapidly, and I was not getting appropriate
therapy or support, as I voiced my concerns, over the lack of
"connect" for my personal safety.

On May 1, 2004, I told Smith in his office I was suicidal. I called
Rivamonte that same day, and I told her I was suicidal. I told them
both they need to do something, as my life was in danger.

Neither did anything.

On May 13, in Rivamonte's office, she attacked me, abused so
severely, psychologically, demeaned me, excoriated me, humiliated, told
me I blame everything on my past, said, I cannot leave anything alone,
told me I needed to GET MYSELF out of my suicidal state.

I lost contact with reality for weeks. I survived by disassociating,
and I thought I was dead, really dead.

I had to beg Smith for appointments, he would not see me, he told me he
had jury duty. During the weeks previous to May 13, 2004, I called
Smith frantic, as I was losing my mind, telling him, "I have faith in
you!"

He did not return my phone calls.

He told me Rivamonte never called him. Rivamonte told me between May 1
and May 13, she called him twice, and he did not return her calls.

These were two mental health professionals with whom I entrusted my
life.

After May 13, 2004, Smith would not see me, or answer my emergency
calls, until I threatened to go tell someone else that day. He called
me back in 30 minutes.

I received an anonymous report that Rivamonte and Goodman had been
"involved." I told him, and I provided him with emails proving
Rivamonte's sexual overtures to me.

Smith began taping my sessions with him, and he admitted to me the
affair, and he told me, in regard to my legal concerns over this GROSS
privacy violation:

"I can take care of this for you."

He never took care of anything. I spent the next months so impaired, I
do not presently know the clinical language for what happened to me.
But I know that in 50 years of extremely challenging personal
circumstances, I never lost my mind, the I was harmed in regard to this
"issue" and my role as an NYU Medical Center volunteer.

My medical privacy, in my capacity as an NYU Medical Center volunteer,
was violated.

I have filed complaints with NYU Office of Compliance that have not
been investigated or addressed.

NYU told Goodman "does not know" Rivamonte. That is a lie.
Rivamonte and Smith confirmed they know one another.

Smith presented my case and the "ethical dilemma" to Henry
Weinstein, MD, Chair, NYU Medical Center Ethics Committee. Smith
provided to me, upon my request, my records, but Smith refuses to
explain this material, or to speak to me in any manner, upon request to
him in July and August 2005.

Smith lied in my medical records, concerning my suicidal life crisis,
and does not report the devastating set of weeks. Further, he gave me a
diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder, which is grossly inaccurate, and I
failed to receive proper care and protection during a period of my life
when I was severely unable to function as an adult.

Goodman made it very clear to me that she know information no one could
have acquired without it coming from either Smith or Rivamonte.

Rivamonte provided me with an NYU Medical Center Notice of Privacy
Practices form, which I supplied your office in July 2004.

NYU has not responded to privacy complaint and other concerns filed
with your office, twice, July 2004 and July 2005.

My role as an NYU Medical Center volunteer severely endangered my life,
via a serious and APA - proscribed conflict of interest, that is in
no uncertain terms, by clinical evidence, dangerous and unwarranted.

NYU Medical Center has wasted and destroyed MORE than a year of my
life, by failing protect my rights and interests, as well as your
failure to investigate this issue and provide me and truthful response,
after I gave 2 years of my life as an unpaid volunteer for the New York
University Medical Center Child Study Center.

That is abhorrent abuse, on both your part, and Victoria Rivamonte,
PsyD, and Mathew B. Smith, MD.

This letter does not address other specific abuses and acts of
misconduct and malpractice relevant to their private practice.

Sincerely,
Virginia Hooper
 
What did they do? If it is too hard to talk about don't worry we will
understand. But I'm sure many of us would love to help you get over it

17 October 2005

Thomas Feurstein
Office of Compliance
NYU Medical Center
NY NY 10016

Dear Mr. Feerustein:

I just received your Official letter from NYU Medical Center, regarding
my privacy complaints as well as Matthew B. Smith's consult with
Henry Weinstein, MD, Chair, NYU Medical Center Ethics Committee.

When we spoke on the telephone, in August 2005, you told me this is not
an NYU Medical Center issue and you know nothing about any Ethics
Consult with the NYU Medical Center Ethics Committee, and Henry
Weinstein, MD, Chair, as described in Matthew B. Smith's medical
records of my case, presented October 8, 2005, to Weinstein, MD.

Your letter to me says the following:

[Begin quote]

Dear. Ms. Hooper:

We are in receipt of your various concerns and requests for medical
records from Dr. Matthew Smith. According to Dr. Smith all records
requested have been sent to you and should be in your possession. Dr.
Smith also discussed the above receipt of records with you during
previous communications.

NYU Hospitals Center has no control over the care delivered by
practitioners in their
private practices. If you would like to file a complaint against a
physician, you may send
your complaint directly to the Department of Health as listed below.

We are sorry we were unable to meet your expectations.

[Info on NY State Dept Health].

[End of quote]

Your response to my complaints filed do not address my privacy
complaint or the NYU Ethics Committee consult, as described in
Smith's records.

As I told you on the telephone in August 2004, Smith told me Rivamonte
and Robin Goodman had an affair. I reported to Robin Goodman as part of
my NYU CSC
role as a volunteer. My relationship with Robin Goodman stood as an
extremely
dangerous conflict of interest in my psychotherapy with Rivamonte. My
role as an NYU volunteer endangered my life by this conflict of
interest. She made it clear to me that she and Robin F. Goodman knew
one
another.

Rivamonte, over a period a year and a half, beginning with my work at
NYU, spring 2003, exploited me for information, regarding my
relationship with Robin Goodman. Rivamonte's behavior was so volatile
over
this issue, I terminated therapy with her in summer of 2003. I told
Smith of this effect, but at that time, I did not grasp or understand
the reason why.

I later returned to therapy with Rivamonte in March 2004, and I asked
her the first session if this was a problem. She told me the
relationship "was close."

I did not know at time what she meant, but I understood the topic was
off limits in my therapy with Rivamonte.

Over a period of weeks, as I attempted to explore the death my parents,
as a child, because I was working on a book on suicide for children, my
state of mind descended so rapidly, and I was not getting appropriate
therapy or support, as I voiced my concerns, over the lack of
"connect" for my personal safety.

On May 1, 2004, I told Smith in his office I was suicidal. I called
Rivamonte that same day, and I told her I was suicidal. I told them
both they need to do something, as my life was in danger.

Neither did anything.

On May 13, in Rivamonte's office, she attacked me, abused so
severely, psychologically, demeaned me, excoriated me, humiliated, told
me I blame everything on my past, said, I cannot leave anything alone,
told me I needed to GET MYSELF out of my suicidal state.

I lost contact with reality for weeks. I survived by disassociating,
and I thought I was dead, really dead.

I had to beg Smith for appointments, he would not see me, he told me he
had jury duty. During the weeks previous to May 13, 2004, I called
Smith frantic, as I was losing my mind, telling him, "I have faith in
you!"

He did not return my phone calls.

He told me Rivamonte never called him. Rivamonte told me between May 1
and May 13, she called him twice, and he did not return her calls.

These were two mental health professionals with whom I entrusted my
life.

After May 13, 2004, Smith would not see me, or answer my emergency
calls, until I threatened to go tell someone else that day. He called
me back in 30 minutes.

I received an anonymous report that Victoria Rivamonte and Robin
Goodman had been
"involved." I told him, and I provided him with emails proving
Rivamonte's sexual overtures to me.

Smith began taping my sessions with him, and he admitted to me the
affair, and he told me, in regard to my legal concerns over this GROSS
privacy violation:

"I can take care of this for you."

He never took care of anything. I spent the next months so impaired, I
do not presently know the clinical language for what happened to me.
But I know that in 50 years of extremely challenging personal
circumstances, I never lost my mind, the I was harmed in regard to this
"issue" and my role as an NYU Medical Center volunteer.

My medical privacy, in my capacity as an NYU Medical Center volunteer,
was violated.

I have filed complaints with NYU Office of Compliance that have not
been investigated or addressed.

NYU told Goodman "does not know" Rivamonte. That is a lie.
Rivamonte and Smith confirmed they know one another.

Smith presented my case and the "ethical dilemma" to Henry
Weinstein, MD, Chair, NYU Medical Center Ethics Committee. Smith
provided to me, upon my request, my records, but Smith refuses to
explain this material, or to speak to me in any manner, upon request to
him in July and August 2005.

Smith lied in my medical records, concerning my suicidal life crisis,
and does not report the devastating set of weeks. Further, he gave me a
diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder, which is grossly inaccurate, and I
failed to receive proper care and protection during a period of my life
when I was severely unable to function as an adult.

Goodman made it very clear to me that she know information no one could
have acquired without it coming from either Smith or Rivamonte.

Rivamonte provided me with an NYU Medical Center Notice of Privacy
Practices form, which I supplied your office in July 2004.

NYU has not responded to privacy complaint and other concerns filed
with your office, twice, July 2004 and July 2005.

My role as an NYU Medical Center volunteer severely endangered my life,
via a serious and APA - proscribed conflict of interest, that is in
no uncertain terms, by clinical evidence, dangerous and unwarranted.

NYU Medical Center has wasted and destroyed MORE than a year of my
life, by failing protect my rights and interests, as well as your
failure to investigate this issue and provide me and truthful response,
after I gave 2 years of my life as an unpaid volunteer for the New York
University Medical Center Child Study Center.

That is abhorrent abuse, on both your part, and Victoria Rivamonte,
PsyD, and Mathew B. Smith, MD.

This letter does not address other specific abuses and acts of
misconduct and malpractice relevant to their private practice.

Sincerely,
Virginia Hooper