Doctor Loses Hospital Privileges After Posting Video Of Healthcare Workers Not Social Distancing
ORANGE (CBSLA) -- Dr. Ana Sanchez can no longer see her pregnant patients at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
The medical executive committee, which is made up of her hospital peers, removed her hospital privileges for — among other things — publicly posting a video shaming other healthcare workers for not social distancing.
Sanchez admits she recorded healthcare workers gathering for free food during a local promotion around the corner from her hospital. The video shows them lined up very close together, not following Gov. Gavin Newsom's social distancing rules.
"Are you guys all healthcare workers?" Sanchez asks the crowd in the video. "All of you standing right here next to each other, getting coronavirus?"
According to Sanchez, the video was taken 10 days after California instituted social distancing guidelines.
The medical executive committee wrote in a letter to the OBGYN that her actions instilled fear during a pandemic and she intimidated and harassed medical personnel.
The 30-year physician treats low-income mothers. She acknowledged that she's used her voice on many occasions to speak out when she believes patients or fellow staff could be at risk.
"They said that I had engaged in unprofessional conduct that was going to put patients at risk," Sanchez said. "The way I saw it, it was the opposite. The medical executive committee has dropped the ball."
The committee said it's "charged with the oversight of the quality of care provided at the hospital. Any disciplinary matters are handled through the confidential peer review process."
Sanchez said she's also complained for the last several weeks about a lack of masks during the second phase of labor.
When asked to comment, St. Joseph Hospital said it can't make a statement on the actions taken against Sanchez.