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“Guess the Substance!”
The now-deleted video, which was widely shared, was filmed inside the examination room of Pesetas Urgent Care in Santa Barbara, part of the large American health group Sutter Health. The footage shows several staff members in medical scrubs, smiling and giving a thumbs up next to stains on an examination table and on the floor.
The captions accompanying the images were particularly shocking and inappropriate: “Do patients have the right to leave you gifts?”, “Make sure to leave nice gifts like this for your caregivers!”, and “Guess the substance!” The video was posted by a former employee on her personal TikTok account.
Wave of Outrage and Immediate Firings
The video quickly went viral, sparking a wave of outrage across all platforms. Numerous internet users and patients condemned the behavior as “dehumanizing,” showing a total lack of respect for the individuals cared for and a blatant breach of trust in a medical setting. The clinic’s Yelp and Google pages were flooded with negative reviews.
In response to the scandal, Sutter Health acted swiftly and decisively. In a statement, the group described the employees’ behavior as “unacceptable” and a “clear violation of our policies.” The company announced an immediate internal investigation. Less than 48 hours after becoming aware of the video, all employees featured in the footage who were still employed were fired. “Protecting the trust of those we serve is our highest priority, and when that trust is violated, we take swift action,” the group emphasized.
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What’s the Takeaway?
This incident is a textbook example of the pitfalls of using social media at work, especially in a sector as sensitive as healthcare. Beyond the lack of professionalism and respect, this video has shattered the trust of many patients in the healthcare system, who now fear being ridiculed once the office door closes.
The incident also sparked a broader debate about the need for healthcare facilities to have much stricter and clearer policies regarding the use of personal smartphones and social media by their staff during working hours. If the goal was to create a humorous “buzz,” it backfired completely. The only thing these employees succeeded in doing was losing their jobs and damaging the reputation of their employer. What do you think, does this kind of behavior warrant immediate dismissal?