Patients who arrived at the Granite City, Ill.-based Multicare Specialists Chiropractor's Office on Jan. 22 were greeted with a sign claiming one of the facility's physicians had quit because a female nurse practitioner had recently been hired, reports Fox 2 News St. Louis.
Patient Susan Rolens said she had previously scheduled an appointment with family medicine physician Rodney Lupardus, MD.
She told the television station that when she arrived at the facility, she found a sign taped on its front door informing patients Dr. Lupardus had quit because his wife would not allow him to work there, as the facility had just hired a female nurse practitioner. She posted a photograph of the sign to social media, which quickly went viral, according to the report.
Fox 2 News visited the physician practice on Jan. 23 and did not find the sign. A spokesperson for the office declined to say why Dr. Lupardus had resigned.
The physician practice released a statement from the nurse practitioner that indicated Dr. Lupardus refused to interact with her.
"On my first day on the job as the nurse practitioner, I went to Dr. Lupardus and said 'Can I ask you a question.' His reply was, 'He, the other doctor, is dealing with you, not me.' I told him it was regarding his patients and was told, 'The other doctor will answer any questions,' and he walked away. He did not speak to me the rest of the day," the statement read.
The incident has caused some patients to reconsider visiting the facility for treatment, the report states.
To access the full report, click here.