A patient-access representative at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, was fired for violating code-of-conduct policies after an interaction with a transgender patient, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Nov. 21.
A clinic manager received a complaint from the patient on Sept. 23, alleging the employee repeatedly used the wrong name and pronouns for the patient during check-in, according to the report. The employee was terminated on Sept. 24 for code-of-conduct violations.
At a recent hearing, hospital officials testified the patient reported informing the employee of her correct name and pronouns, but the employee continued to misgender her.
The patient also saw the employee gesture toward her with a middle finger, hospital officials testified. Surveillance footage reviewed by a human resource representative reportedly corroborated this, according to the report.
The employee told the clinic manager the patient was difficult to hear and allegedly acknowledged using the patient's incorrect pronouns and previous name.
"This employee was terminated from Broadlawns Medical Center on September 24, 2024, for unprofessional, disrespectful behavior towards a patient including making an inappropriate gesture to the patient," according to a statement from the hospital shared with Becker's.