Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Subject: Request for Urgent Investigation into Assault, Retaliation, and Medical Malpractice at HCA Florida Largo Hospital
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
I am reaching out to you in urgent need of your intervention and assistance regarding deeply troubling events that occurred during my hospitalization at HCA Florida Largo Hospital. My name is John Robert Coates Jr., a 54-year-old heart attack patient who recently experienced severe malpractice, physical assault, coercive retaliation, and obstruction of justice at the hands of hospital staff.
On May 25, 2025, I was admitted via emergency services exhibiting clear symptoms of a heart attack. Instead of immediate cardiac intervention as required by national guidelines, my treatment was delayed for over 48 hours, resulting in further deterioration and critical harm to my heart. During an eventual PCI procedure, the attending cardiologist admitted to accidentally “kinking” an artery, directly causing a massive secondary heart attack (Type 4a MI), which was negligently left untreated.
When I insisted on proper medical tests to document this error, hospital staff responded by forcibly confiscating my personal phone and laptop, physically assaulting me, deleting crucial medical evidence and personal communications, and coercing me under threat to sign an “Against Medical Advice” discharge form. I was then expelled from the hospital while actively experiencing severe cardiac symptoms from a Type 4a MI.
Local police have been reluctant to act, leaving me without recourse at the local level. As Secretary of HHS, your leadership is my last and best hope for ensuring accountability and justice. These actions not only constitute severe medical malpractice but also blatant civil rights violations and criminal assault under Florida law.
I humbly request an urgent investigation by your department into these abuses by HCA Florida Largo Hospital. It is imperative that hospitals cannot violently retaliate against patients demanding appropriate medical care. Your direct involvement could set a precedent protecting future patients from suffering similar abuses.
Please, Secretary Kennedy, help me bring accountability and reform to prevent such horrific events from happening to anyone else. I am grateful for your immediate attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Respectfully and sincerely,
John Robert Coates Jr.
