A video showing Sutter Health/Sansum Clinic urgent care staff mocking patients went viral over the weekend and is drawing criticism of unprofessional behavior from the public.
The now-deleted video was posted on TikTok by user angieuncut, according to social media posts. It shows multiple photographs of medical personnel gathering around exam tables and showing off wet marks left by patients after appointments.
In the video, the personnel can be seen in multiple photos posing with soiled paper on the exam tables. The video also refers to the marks as “gifts” left behind by patients.
Sutter Health confirmed Tuesday that the person who uploaded the video worked at Sansum’s Pesetas Urgent Care Clinic at 215 Pesetas Lane in Santa Barbara. Sansum Clinic joined the Sutter Health network in late 2023.
Sutter Health representatives said in a statement that the person was not an employee when they posted the video. It also stated that the other staff members in the video are being investigated and are now on leave.
“The trust and dignity of our patients always remain our top priority,” a spokesperson for Sutter Health said in a statement to Noozhawk. “We are deeply concerned about a disrespectful social media post made on a personal account by a former employee, and we are conducting a full review in line with our policies.
“The individual who posted it is a former employee and was not employed with us at the time of the post. Any other staff shown or associated with the content are part of the investigation and are on administrative leave pending the outcome. The post goes against the values, professionalism and respect we expect from all staff. We have strict policies to protect patient privacy and dignity, and any behavior that disrespects those standards is unacceptable.”
The original video has been deleted and the uploader, whose name was not shared by Sutter Health, changed their TikTok account to private.
There are dozens of negative comments on Sutter Health’s social media accounts, as well as negative Yelp and Google reviews referencing the video as of Tuesday.
Many of the comments criticized Sutter Health and called the staff members involved “immature and unprofessional.”
Sutter Health has posted responses to some of the comments about the video, including a statement on its Facebook posts.
“We take this concern very seriously, and it’s under review. The content goes against the values of our organization and the professionalism expected of our care teams. The individual was no longer employed with us at the time of the post. Any other staff shown or associated with the content are part of the review,” Sutter Health wrote.