ER doctor who criticized Bellingham hospital's coronavirus protections has been fired

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/er-doctor-who-criticized-bellingham-hospitals-coronavirus-protections-has-been-fired/


Dr. Ming Lin has worked in the emergency room at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham for 17 years. (Eric Miller)

March 27, 2020 at 7:52 pm

By Ron Judd
Seattle Times staff reporter

BELLINGHAM – An emergency room physician who publicly decried what he called a lack of protective measures against the novel coronavirus at his workplace, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, has been fired.

Ming Lin, who has worked at the hospital for 17 years and became a local cause célèbre for his pleas for more safety equipment and more urgent measures to protect staff, was informed of his termination as he was preparing for a shift at the hospital Friday afternoon, he said.

“I got a message that said, ‘Your shift has been covered,’” Lin told The Seattle Times. He phoned his supervisor and was told, “You’ve been terminated.” Lin said he was told he would be contacted by human resources staff from his employer, TeamHealth, a national firm that contracts with PeaceHealth’s emergency department.

TeamHealth could not immediately be reached for comment. A spokesperson for PeaceHealth St. Joseph confirmed that Lin had been fired but said the hospital had no comment because Lin wasn’t a PeaceHealth employee.

Lin said supervisors threatened his employment more than a week ago after he spoke to reporters and made social media posts accusing PeaceHealth of a lack of urgency to protect health care workers from the virus.

Lin said he was told to take down his social media posts about the hospital but refused.

</snip>

[mucifer]

1. So cruel. And realllly stupid they will need every doc they can get

[jimfields33]

26. He'll be hired before the stupid ink is even dry on the termination paperwork

[bullwinkle428]

2. And how is this different from what happened to that whistle-blower doctor in Wuhan, who

eventually succumbed to Covid-19?? "Land of the free", my ass!!

[UpInArms]

19. First thing that I thought of

While reading this article

This is not my country

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. Idiots. nt

[TheBlackAdder]

37. St. Joseph--The Compassionate and Caring Saint. Such Irony! (Don't Get In The Way Of Making Money)

.

The Prayer to St Joseph

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen

https://www.praywithme.com/prayer-to-st-joseph.html

Nice.

.

[dalton99a]

4. He speaks for countless thousands.

[Iliyah]

5. That is really crazy . . .

[central scrutinizer]

6. Major league fuckery

No words

[dem4decades]

7. Maybe when an Administrator needs a DR they'll be one too few? That would be justice.

[uponit7771]

8. Wrongful termination?!? tia

[Hotler]

9. Did the order to fire him come from the White house? nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. That was my first thought.

[DENVERPOPS]

32. First thing

I thought of......Some TrumpHumping CEO acting out...........Thinking if the president the CEO worships, can wipe out NY City, Washington State/ Detroit, the CEO can do his part by trashing the reputation of the doctor that is merely calling it as it is.......Sound Familiar????????

We are approaching the point down the road, where just like Russia and China, any dissenters are savagely taken out.
Most people think of the student standing in front of the stopped tank in Tiamen Square. they should all read about what happened to all the students just after that picture was taken.....it was a horrifying mass killing by the Chinese Gov't, of every last student demonstrating in the Square......

[Brainfodder]

10. Fuck stooge employers . He's got the high ground, they are ignorant assholes!

He'll easily move on FFS.

"An emergency room physician"

"for 17 years"

Very high demand.... right now, DUH!

Just shows you how easily people can get fired, the hell with need and reputations and doing the right things.....

As if this will be the only one.

I lost my last job to out of my hands BS caused by one dumb fuck.

[Olafjoy]

11. Whistleblower protection!!

[Roy Rolling]

12. 2nd Amendment

Where’s the 2nd Amendment Constitution-lovers when someone’s 1st Amendment rights are trampled?

That’s right, crickets.

They don’t care about the Constitution, they just want to play with guns.

[getagrip_already]

13. so what are his coworkers doing?

Just curious. everyone is stressed out and scared and even medical workers don't want to lose their jobs, so I get silence.

But was wondering if there is any reaction from staff. It would be fitting if they all took other jobs.

[lpbk2713]

14. It begs the question ...

What are they trying to hide?

[iluvtennis]

15. + gree. And to fire a doctor in this critical time of need is MALPRACTICE. nt

[blueinredohio]

16. I'm sure there are plenty of places he could find a job.

Now his co-workers need to tell management if they don't bring him back to work they're handing in their resignations.

[AllyCat]

17. TeamHealth sucks.

They ran the ER in another state where my mother was taken a year ago. When I tried to complain about the unsafe care my mom received there, I was told at the hospital complaint line that they could only register the complaints for her INPATIENT stay. The ER was run by TeamHealth and I had to call them. Do you think I ever got to talk to a person? No.

[usaf-vet]

18. Seriously! Fired! After 17 years!! This must be a Trump associated hospital. It has a stupid Admin.

17 Years. I guess they really don't care about the patient's healthcare.

I hope he sues them and wins a huge settlement.

How can any hospital fire any healthcare provider at this time.

[jimfields33]

29. I sorta hope this was last straw

Only because if not it’s ridiculous. Maybe this was strike 3 and the other strikes were drunk while operating and cutting off wrong arm. That’s the only possible reason for termination.

[The Magistrate]

20. Seems About What We Are Supposed To Detest About The Chinese Response, Sir

The man deserves a medal....

[OverBurn]

22. The world is jammed with ignorance.

[marieo1]

23. Disgusting

It never ends........we need all the Dr's right now. So what if they speak out. Put this Dr. back to work. Shame on you Peacehealth.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Is it a for-profit hospital? A religious hospital?

[gibraltar72]

25. Telling the truth has consequences

Lies clearly don't.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. He's An ER Doc

Som e other hospital will snap him up like a dog on bacon. Especially in these circumstances.
These idiots at TeamHealth just reduced their staff by one in a national health crisis.
Morons.

[secondwind]

28. Blackstone acquired TeamHealth a couple of years ago, I think.

I think there is more to this story than meets the eye.

[smirkymonkey]

30. So wrong!

I would like to know who is really behind this decision.

[txwhitedove]

31. Disturbing. Hmm, did they perhaps get the equipment needed quid pro...?

[marble falls]

33. Nothing like adding more fog to a bad situation. Surely they aren't going to deny his comments.

[Lonestarblue]

34. Catholic hospital with religious freedom discriminate.

If we ever get universal healthcare, I would like all hospitals to be no religious. Catholic hospitals today are allowed to turn away a woman with an ectopic pregnancy who is is bleeding and her life is endangered. They send her to another hospital. If her fallopian tube bursts and she bleeds out on the way, too bad. They consider treating an ectopic pregnancy an abortion, even though the embryo is not viable and will never become a living being. I don’t know, but I imagine some may refuse to treat LGBTQ as well. A hospital should be part of a medical community, not a religious community.

[Chainfire]

35. It is just good business

to terminate people who are not loyal to their employers.

I can tell you, the company would not want me on the jury when he sues.

[MasonDreams]

36. Maybe a class action wrongful death lawsuit could clean out some bad management.

Wait what is bad management?

For profit health care is more profitable if more people are sick.

Corporate charters mandate maximizing profit.

Sounds monumentally stupid, and nightmarishly criminal to boot. Almost genocidal in a pandemic. People might get really angry about these things... "Hey Susan, have Bob fire up the chopper tell him we're going to the airport, and call my pilot tell him we're going to our undisclosed location, and be sure to pack the golden parachute."

[MFGsunny]

38. WTF. I mean seriously????? Bite.Nose.To.Spite.Face.

Will be interesting to hear about sequence to this alarming saga.
While Doc worked for TeamHealth, a subcontracted entity to PeaceHealth hospital ..... oh my how thw harm will fly!

[McCamy Taylor]

39. What the hell is wrong with people?

[mjvpi]

40. Read about Team Health

They represent one good reason that we need a not for profit health care system. I believe that doctors should make the kind of money that they make now. PAs, nurses and everyone else should make more. Eliminate the health insurance industry and the Team Healths of the world, and people can make a very good living providing health care.

I apologize if you work in the health insurance or corporate health care industry. I realize that by talking about eliminating those levels of our current health care system I’m talking about people’s livelihoods. Other than management and shareholders, your organizational and computer skills would be needed in a not for profit system.

If the need for universal health care at this point in time is obvious. It looks like Team Health is a group that puts profit ahead of quality in the very business that they are involved in.