Cleveland-based University Hospitals fired two pediatricians accused of sending unsolicited text messages to UH physicians, the health system confirmed to Becker’s.
In a statement, system spokesperson Ansley Kelm said the pediatricians were terminated after an investigation determined they went into a care coordination app, accessed the personal data of 4,000 colleagues, and repeatedly sent them unsolicited text messages that were not related to care coordination.
The pediatricians, Valerie Fouts-Fowler, DO, and Lauren Beene, MD, contend they were terminated amid their efforts to form a union at UH, according to CBS affiliate WOIO.
“We are two pediatricians who lost our jobs, but really what we are up against is it’s a nationwide issue where people on the frontlines, providers of any sort, have lost their voice in how healthcare is delivered and how healthcare systems are run,” Dr. Beene said, according to the news station.
A petition calling for the pediatricians’ reinstatement says: “Two respected pediatricians, Dr. Lauren Beene and Dr. Valerie Fouts-Fowler, were abruptly removed from patient care by University Hospitals. Their supposed violation? Using an internal provider directory, a standard tool used daily by physicians, to connect with colleagues in an effort to organize around improving patient care at UH. There was no breach of patient data, no harm, and no clear violation of policy.”
Ms. Kelm, however, said the decision to fire the pediatricians “had absolutely nothing to do with union organizing” and came about after complaints from UH physicians about being sent unsolicited text messages.
“UH leaders repeatedly sought to work together with the now-terminated physicians throughout their careers to address any concerns these physicians raised,” she said. “No one is being silenced. There is not one issue that UH leaders ducked, ignored, or did not seek to address with each physician involved. In fact, when these two physicians expressed concerns, UH leaders offered to meet with them in person. These physicians chose not to meet.
“Many other physicians raise concerns that are addressed daily — all done without improperly accessing thousands of their colleagues’ personal data and sending them unsolicited text messages.”
Dr. Fouts-Fowler and Dr. Beene said they sent texts to UH physicians to unionize for an improved healthcare system, after accessing UH healthcare workers’ cellphone numbers through a digital directory that is often used for personal use, according to ABC affiliate WEWS-TV.
