Bellingham ER doctor who criticized hospital’s coronavirus measures says he was fired
A veteran Bellingham Emergency Department doctor who spoke out about St. Joseph hospital’s and his perceived lack of measures taken to protect staff during the new coronavirus pandemic says he was fired.
A spokesperson for TeamHealth, a national physician services firm that contracts with PeaceHealth’s emergency department and employs Dr. Ming Lin, says Lin was not terminated, but Lin told the Associated Press he doesn’t believe he will be working in Bellingham any longer.
PeaceHealth officials did not directly answer The Bellingham Herald’s questions about Dr. Lin’s status at St. Joseph hospital, whether he would still be welcome to work shifts in the hospital’s Emergency Department or if PeaceHealth had asked TeamHealth that he be removed.
Instead they focused their answers on how the hospital is preparing for a potential surge in coronavirus cases in the area and saying the hospital would continue to work with TeamHealth to provide physician services.
“From that standpoint, we’ve asked them to provide the services that we need just like they have every day,” PeaceHealth Northwest Chief Executive Charles Prosper told The Herald on Saturday, March 28.
Hospital spokesperson Bev Mayhew referred any further questions on Lin’s future to TeamHealth.
The Seattle Times reported Saturday that Lin, who has worked at the hospital for 17 years and earlier this month posted a letter he sent to PeaceHealth asking for more safety equipment and better protection for staff against COVID-19, was informed he was terminated as he prepared for a shift Friday afternoon, March 27.
But a spokesperson for TeamHealth said in an emailed statement to The Herald Saturday that Lin has not been fired.
“Dr. Lin has not been terminated by TeamHealth and we are committed to engaging with him to try to find a path forward,” the statement said. “Now more than ever, we need every available doctor, and we will work with Dr. Lin to find the right location for him.”
Lin scoffed at the notion he hadn’t been fired in an interview with the Associated Press, and said he expected the company might offer him work at a different hospital in the area, but that he’s not interested.
The Washington State Nurses Association, which represents 900 nurses at St. Joseph hospital, said Saturday in a statement that it is “appalled” by the hospital administration’s response and said that healthcare workers are being “muzzled.”
“Dr. Lin bravely spoke out for the safety of hospital staff, patients and the public,” the association’s release said. “He has been the voice for many nurses and other health care workers who are afraid to speak up out of the very real fear that they could be disciplined or fired. We salute his courage, and we demand that he be reinstated so he can continue his life-saving work.”
The association also said it has filed a complaint with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries over what it believes is the hospital’s failure to provide a safe work environment.
“Our members on the front lines at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham report that they have run out of proper gowns to care for suspected and positive COVID-19 patients, are being directed to re-use and share personal protective equipment (PPE) without proper cleaning per manufacturer guidelines, are being given one surgical mask per day and being told to keep it in a paper bag between patients, and other unsafe measures,” the association said.
Prosper told The Herald Saturday that PeaceHealth has a “stable” supply of personal protective equipment and is working to add to its reserve, though it is asking care workers to conserve when possible with an eye toward a potential surge in COVID-19 cases.
“As we watch how other hospitals manage their supplies when they are hit with a surge, we have made deliberate changes in how we manage ours in conjunction with CDC guidelines,” Prosper said. “These efforts are an essential part of our ability to serve this community.
“We can’t throw masks out multiple times in a shift. We have to preserve them, but our staff’s safety and protection is always foremost. If a caregiver believes an item has lost its integrity and ability to protect them, we have replacements on hand.”
The American Academy of Emergency Medicine also called for the Washington State Attorney General and the State Board of Medicine to investigate Dr. Lin’s reported termination, in a statement Saturday.
Public criticism
On Facebook and in media interviews Lin has repeatedly criticized what he saw as a sluggish response to the threat by the hospital’s administration. Lin insisted that the hospital was slow to screen visitors, negligent in not testing staff, wrong to rely on a company that was taking 10 days to process COVID-19 test results, and derelict in obtaining protective equipment for staff.
He described taking steps to help the hospital obtain cots and personal protective gear being offered by local companies, but said his posts also brought warnings from superiors to stop speaking out.
In an interview earlier this week, Lin said his criticism of the hospital was motivated in part by what he learned as an ER doctor at a hospital near the World Trade Center on 9/11. He said he worked at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan and the facility’s steady and competent response that day was due to the training and experience it had undertaken after being overwhelmed in the aftermath of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
“I feel so overwhelmed,” Lin said. “We’re like a high school basketball team that’s about to play an NBA team. The storm is coming, and I don’t feel that we’re prepared.”
In a statement released March 20, the day after The Seattle Times ran a story about Lin’s criticism, Prosper insisted that the hospital was taking its preparations seriously. Prosper said the hospital had started restricting nonessential visitors and screening those who did enter for fevers, among other steps.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sudhakar Karlapudi said that the hospital holds three listening sessions per week in which physicians and other caregivers have the opportunity to meet directly with clinical and administrative leadership to voice their concerns. Together, he said, they work to establish the best practices for the hospital.
“The infrastructure is in place for physicians to voice their opinions and for experts to give us guidance,” Karlapudi told The Bellingham Herald Saturday. “We have open dialogue about what is going on and how to make things better.”
Prosper told The Herald this week that “several“ staff members at the hospital and area clinics have tested positive, but that none were the result of exposure to patients. Prosper also said the hospital had “adequate” staff and supply resources to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Whatcom County had its first confirmed case by March 10. It has now had 104 confirmed cases and four deaths, the Whatcom County Health Department reported Saturday. At least 27 residents and 19 staff at the Shuksan Healthcare Center skilled nursing facility in Bellingham had tested positive as of Friday, according to information released by the center Friday evening.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Bellingham ER doctor who criticized hospital’s coronavirus measures says he was fired."
