Dr. Geeta Lucy Malieckal, MD

My mother was admitted to North Shore LIJ for a blood clot under the care of Dr. Geeta Malieckal, who prefers to be called a “provider.” While my mother had stage 4 cancer that had metastasized, that was not the reason for her hospitalization. The focus should have been on treating the blood clot, but instead, Dr. Malieckal fixated on my mother’s cancer, speaking to her in a condescending tone as if she were a child and repeatedly telling her that she was going to die. Such unprofessionalism is completely unacceptable. Dr. Malieckal is an internist, not an oncologist, yet she persisted in making my mother's cancer the focus of her treatment. My mother came to the hospital for a blood clot and should have received intravenous medication followed by pills before returning home. However, that didn’t happen. Dr. Malieckal’s constant reminders of my mother’s prognosis drained her will to fight. She even pressured my mother to sign a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order while she was heavily… medicated with dilaudid, impairing her judgment. My mother wasn’t in the right state of mind to make such a serious decision; I have video evidence showing she could barely remember my name. Despite my suggestion to wait for my father, her healthcare proxy, Dr. Malieckal continued to pressure her. Eventually, they coerced her into signing the DNR, with a random witness who wasn’t even present when the documents were signed. I have proof of this as well. Additionally, my mother began experiencing problems with her right eye, which started to close. When we raised these concerns with Dr. Malieckal, she dismissed them as nothing. When we mentioned that my mother was twitching in her sleep, Dr. Malieckal attributed it to REM sleep, despite the fact that heavy opioids make it difficult to reach that stage. Ignoring these new symptoms is negligent, and a competent doctor would have investigated them further. We repeatedly requested a neurologist, but Dr. Malieckal denied our requests. Eventually, it turned out that my mother’s brain tumor had grown larger, yet they refused to address it, and her condition deteriorated. We only wished the doctor had taken our concerns seriously instead of making us feel foolish when there was a real issue. We also asked that my mother’s port not be accessed to avoid infection, but Dr. Malieckal instructed the nurses to access it anyway. This resulted in a sepsis infection. Not only did we have to deal with the blood clot and cancer, but now sepsis as well. I understand that there are risks in a hospital setting, but knowing my mother had late-stage cancer, accessing her port for blood draws should have been avoided. Dr. Malieckal also suggested that my mother undergo radiation on her spine to alleviate pain from the metastasized cancer. At the time, my mother had a worsening stage 3 bedsore, and the doctor failed to explain the risks of radiation in that condition. I don’t understand why my mother’s visit for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) became entirely about her cancer. Her cancer management should have been handled by an oncologist, not an internist. Ultimately, my mother passed away because the hospital failed to properly monitor and treat the DVT, which was the primary reason for her admission in the first place. Dr. Geeta Malieckal needs to stay in her lane and learn how to communicate with her patients and their families. She carries an air of superiority that is deeply concerning. I would advise anyone seeking care to look elsewhere.