Dr. Foluso Joy Ogunsile, MD

Dr. Foluso Ogunsile’s care for sickle cell patients at Memorial Healthcare System has been deeply concerning and, in many cases, harmful. The Memorial Sickle Cell Home was once a trusted center for individualized, compassionate care, but under Dr. Ogunsile’s leadership, patients report feeling dismissed, stigmatized, and unsafe. Her approach relies heavily on rigid protocols that limit individualized treatment, including labeling patients as “chronic pain patients” without clear criteria, enforcing restrictive oral or patient-controlled analgesia rules, and applying these policies even to those not under her direct care. Many patients have experienced pressure to transition to treatments that are not approved for sickle cell-related pain, leaving them feeling coerced and cornered when their current regimens are altered or reduced. Emergency and chronic pain management is formulaic rather than personalized, which has resulted in delays and inadequate care for life-threatening… complications like acute chest episodes, aplastic crises, or other severe pain crises. Patients have repeatedly expressed that they are treated with suspicion, often as if they are drug-seeking rather than managing one of the most painful chronic illnesses recognized in medicine. Despite Dr. Ogunsile’s stated personal connection to sickle cell disease through her family, many report a lack of empathy and understanding, experiencing conversations with her team—including her nurse practitioner, pharmacist, and nurse manager—as pressuring and dismissive. These practices have caused many long-standing patients to leave the practice entirely, reduced clinic hours, and created fear and distrust among the sickle cell community. Pediatric patients transitioning to adult care are at particular risk, as they may be referred to a practice where rigid protocols override individualized treatment, and emergency decisions may be delayed by requirements to seek prior approval. The repeated use of terms describing increased sensitivity to pain due to long-term medication use is often invoked to justify altering effective pain management, leaving patients feeling stigmatized and unheard. Conversations with staff frequently minimize patient concerns about treatment side effects, leaving some to question whether external incentives influence treatment recommendations. Patients report receiving limited alternatives when current regimens are no longer effective, often facing suboptimal care or insufficient pain relief. In emergency situations, reliance on protocol rather than clinical judgment can result in formulaic care, such as administering fluids and oral medications while potentially overlooking serious, life-threatening symptoms. These practices compromise patient safety and trust, particularly in a population that already faces significant barriers to equitable healthcare. Overall, Dr. Ogunsile demonstrates a troubling combination of inflexibility, poor clinical judgment, and minimal empathy for sickle cell patients. Her protocols and coercive treatment practices have eroded trust, reduced access to effective care, and caused serious distress among patients. Long-standing patients report leaving Memorial Healthcare System entirely, a trend that reflects the inadequacy and danger of her approach. Sickle cell patients deserve hematologists who provide compassionate, individualized care that prioritizes safety and clinical integrity. Dr. Foluso Ogunsile’s practice repeatedly fails these standards, making her unsuitable to serve as a primary hematologist for this vulnerable population. Memorial Healthcare System must take urgent action to ensure that sickle cell patients receive safe, competent, and empathetic care.

"Writing to formally express my deep concerns and dissatisfaction with the care I have received under the management of Dr. Ogunsile and the nurse leaders that’s in management at Memorial Sickle Cell Day Clinic. At one point in time, Memorial Sickle Cell Clinic was a safe haven and reliable healthcare provider, but my experience has drastically changed under the current leadership. Dr. Ogunsile, who is not my primary hematologist, has been overseeing my care at Memorial Sickle Day Clinic only .I was forced to find a new doctor after being under the care of my previous hematologist for many years. I reached out through email to voice my concerns regarding certain protocols that had been put in place for my care at Memorial ER. Despite my attempt to communicate my concerns, I received a letter after an investigation was conducted. However, no one reached out to me during this investigation to allow me the opportunity to provide my input or address my concerns. Additionally, despite the… investigation, my care protocol has not changed. I was told in the letter it was her rights to recommend certain protocols, but it was more enforced. As a sickle cell patient, stress is a major trigger for my condition, and dealing with the treatment from Dr. Ogunsile and the Nurse management staff at Memorial Sickle Cell Day Clinic has left me feeling more stressed, scared, and helpless with no hope. While the ER staff is generally kind, the current protocol in my chart appears to tie the hands of the doctors, leaving me walking into the ER in pain and leaving with no relief or help and more pain in tears. The refusal to consider my concerns regarding my care has led to significant emotional distress, and I now feel more lost and depressed than ever before. I fear that my voice in my own healthcare is being ignored, and the situation is only worsening. The protocols affecting my care and many other sickle cell patients at Memorial. Memorial needs to reconsider , with attention to how these protocols are affecting our healthcare. It has been really difficult lately to go there for care the doctor and nurse management lack proper care and communication. I hope you take this matter seriously and address these concerns with the urgency and respect they deserve." And if I can give zero I would.