Health care at its worst: Clinic employees fired for mocking patients on TikTok

The latest viral video of health care workers behaving badly made the rounds on Labor Day weekend.

It originated in Santa Barbara, Calf., and was shared on TikTok by a former employee of the Sansum Clinic there.

It was a since-deleted video that depicted former co-workers at the clinic, which primarily serves women. They mocked the substances left behind on the ubiquitous white tissue paper that lines examination tables.

The paper, which crinkles with every move instead of providing comfort, is thought to be put into place to protect patients from exposure to contagions and keep exam rooms sterile.

But the female employees featured in the video made much ado of the way the paper is inevitably soiled by those seeking care.

By Wednesday of the holiday-shortened week the eight people shown in the video were fired.

Sutter Health has terminated the employees responsible for the inappropriate and insensitive photos posted on social media. This unacceptable behavior is an outright violation of our policies, shows a lack of respect for our patients and will not be tolerated.

Protecting the…

— Sutter Health (@SutterHealth) September 4, 2025

“Protecting the trust of those we serve is our highest priority and when that trust is violated, we take swift action to address it,” Sutter Health, the Sacramento-based non-profit that runs the clinic, said in a statement. “Within 24 hours of becoming aware of the posts, we placed the employees on administrative leave, and within another 24 hours, we terminated those involved as part of this ongoing investigation.”

The statement acknowledged the actions of the people in the video runs contrary to what is expected of health care workers.

“We expect all team members to live our patients-first mission and uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism and respect,” the statement said. “We are using this inappropriate incident to reinforce our comprehensive policies with all our team members across the organization as part of our commitment to providing all patients with high-quality, compassionate care.”

Several urgent care workers in Santa Barbara have been fired after a TikTok taken inside medical exam rooms went viral over Labor Day weekend, officials confirmed to KTLA. For the full story, visit: https://t.co/FeoIRKQ103 pic.twitter.com/YH4asnEqVM

— KTLA (@KTLA) September 4, 2025

The clinic bills itself as the largest nonprofit outpatient health care organization between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area and it touts its legacy of service. In 2024, it was honored by the California Office of the Patient Advocate.

“Our dedicated, highly-trained doctors and compassionate staff are an integral part of our history, alongside that of our city, which has always been advanced in the medical sciences despite its small size,” the clinics website states.

We’re proud to receive high marks from California’s Office of the Patient Advocate for our focus on quality, safety and the experience of those we serve! ????https://t.co/2xSxX2xFJ9 pic.twitter.com/HdkjN6dv6m

— Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health (@sansumclinic) August 15, 2024

The video provoked outrage and astonishment on X, with one doctor positing: “I don’t understand how the neurons lined up in the frontal lobe to produce a thought that said ‘this is ok to do’”

if you post a video on social media making fun of your patients body fluids you deserve to be fired and never see patients ever again

— Josh Trebach, MD (@jtrebach) September 4, 2025

Others attempted to explain the behavior without condoning it.

I worked in hospitals for 15 yrs. I hate to break it to y'all but HCWs are some of the darkest and, in some cases, the most heartless people you will ever meet. It doesn't surprise me they did this--I'm just surprised they were dumb enough to post it.https://t.co/TQj1a6gE6b

— ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? (@jakki_jax) September 5, 2025

The Sansum Stain Revival: Why Discharge Deserves Worship

The internet laughed when Sansum Clinic’s Pesetas Urgent Care went viral. Nurses mugging next to pap smear stains. Interns tongue-out at dried cervical graffiti. Sutter Health clutching their pearls and firing everyone… pic.twitter.com/wt5lleMFRz

— Dr. Nick Gurr, PhD, OBGYN, WTF (@SpeculumKing) September 4, 2025

A similar situation happened last year in Westmoreland County, where nurses took photos and videos of patients and shared them in a group chat.

On Aug. 29, Peter Castellano, 37, of Pittsburgh’s Fineview neighborhood and Melissa Tompkins, 36, of Baldwin, were sentenced to one month to one year in Westmoreland County Prison for their actions.

“I find your actions beyond comprehension. These people did nothing to deserve that, so I hope you carry that with you the rest of your life,” Westmoreland County Judge Michael J. Stewart II said.

Each admitted to taking and sharing photos and recordings of Westmoreland Hospital patients without their permission.