Dr. Justin Nguyen Winn, MD

My daughter recently had a breast ultrasound, which was already an uncomfortable and frightening experience for a young woman. Unfortunately, both the condition of the facility and the radiologist’s behavior made the situation significantly worse. When my daughter entered the changing area, the previous patient’s used gown had been left on the counter, along with the towel they had used to wipe away the ultrasound gel. The area had clearly not been cleaned or reset before my daughter was brought in. It was disgusting, unsanitary, and completely unacceptable for a medical facility. The radiologist then entered the room, stood in the corner, and did not ask my daughter any questions or make any real effort to speak with her or put her at ease. His manner was cold, awkward, and extremely dismissive. He told her she had a mass but did not properly explain what it was or what it meant. When she tried to ask again, he responded in an impatient tone, saying only, “It’s a mass young women… your age get.” He gave her no meaningful explanation, no reassurance that she was going to be okay, and no sense that he understood how frightening it was for her to hear the word “mass” in relation to her breast. After he left the room, my daughter spoke with another member of the medical staff about how uncomfortable and unsettling his behavior had made her feel. The staff member agreed that his manner was awkward and off-putting and indicated that she had also noticed concerns with the way he interacted with patients. That conversation made it clear to my daughter that she was not simply overreacting or misreading the situation. My daughter left feeling confused, dismissed, and emotionally unsupported during an already vulnerable appointment. Patients deserve compassion, clear explanations, reassurance, professionalism, and a clean environment (especially when dealing with something as sensitive as a breast mass). This experience failed her in every one of those areas.