An OB-GYN is suing St. Joseph Hospital of Orange (Calif.) over her suspension that occurred after she posted a video online in March about other healthcare workers not socially distancing, according to the Orange County Register.
The lawsuit, filed May 15 in Orange County Superior Court, states that Ana Sanchez, MD, on March 27 saw a large group of people dressed in medical scrubs outside a restaurant near St. Joseph in close contact with each other.
Dr. Sanchez said she believed the congregation, during a free lunch event, violated state and local social distancing orders and put public health in jeopardy. The lawsuit states she approached them from a safe distance and asked them to social distance, and that several of them affirmed to her that they worked at nearby hospitals. She recorded the encounter and posted the video on Facebook.
In the video, according to the County Register, Dr. Sanchez says, "You guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. Don't you care about the work that you do? Why are you giving other people coronavirus or getting coronavirus? Don't you take it seriously? Peoples' lives are on the line."
Dr. Sanchez did the recording "because of her concerns that those individuals, especially those who were healthcare workers, were endangering existing patients and other healthcare workers," the lawsuit states, and she posted it "to encourage others to adhere to social- distancing orders."
Dr. Sanchez contends her medical staff privileges were suspended four days later in retaliation for the video, and said the St. Joseph medical executive committee told her she was part of "actions that may have affected the well-being of hospital personnel by creating undue stress and anxiety during this unprecedented pandemic."
She seeks unspecified damages as well as immediate termination of the suspension, and restoration of her medical staff privileges.
The medical executive committee, made up of physicians responsible for the oversight of care quality at the hospital, said in a statement provided to Becker's Hospital Review that there was no retaliation.
"Any disciplinary actions taken by the medical staff are in response to the medical staff and hospital's legal and moral obligations to keep patients and caregivers safe," the statement said.
St. Joseph said in a June 1 statement provided to Becker's that it had not received an official complaint regarding the lawsuit's allegations and that any corrective action taken was privileged. The County Register reported that Dr. Sanchez has a history of disputes with the hospital regarding patient care.
Read the full report here.