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Several urgent care workers in Santa Barbara, California, were terminated from employment recently after making controversial social media posts. Employees reportedly mocked a female patient and shared images of bodily fluids on an exam room table after the woman’s pelvic exam, according to local news reports. The social media account has since been locked and all posts were deleted. Even so, the center received a flurry of negative online reviews as a result.
Policy points: “As an urgent care operator, I see incidents like this as a breach of patient dignity and confidentiality that erodes community trust—even when no HIPAA-protected information is disclosed,” says Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM. “It’s also a reminder that operators should periodically revisit their policies and reinforce their culture: set a zero-tolerance standard, establish device-free clinical areas and clear social-media rules, train and supervise relentlessly, and act swiftly and transparently so every employee understands that respect for patients is non-negotiable.” Ayers recommends these longstanding tips about social media for employees from the JUCM archive: Protecting Patient Privacy in the Age of Social Media
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