Multiple California-based healthcare workers lost their jobs after they were seen in a TikTok video mocking patients in medical exam rooms.
The incident occurred at Sutter Health’s Pesetas Urgent Care facility in Santa Barbara. The video went viral over Labor Day weekend and has since been taken down.
In the clip shared by the handle @angieuncut, a group of workers asks via caption, “Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?” The following images show exam chair papers stained with bodily fluids left by patients, along with the responses, “Yes!” and “We love them so much.”
“All shapes and sizes,” another caption reads alongside a photo of a different employee sticking out her tongue while bending over a large stain.
The employees posed around the soiled exam chairs, smiling and giving thumbs-up signs. “Guess the substance,” the original video caption said.
NEW: Healthcare workers at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, CA, pose next to bodily-fluid-stained exam paper and post it on social media.
The workers were apparently mocking the “sweet gifts” that their patients left them.
“Guess the substance!” the caption read.
In response to… pic.twitter.com/WN6UqmUcGe
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 3, 2025
“We are deeply concerned about a disrespectful social media post made on a personal account by a former employee, and we are conducting a full review in line with our policies,” a Sutter Health spokesperson told KTLA. The company also stated that the employee who posted the video had not worked at the healthcare facility for two months.
In a later statement, Sutter Health confirmed that the individuals involved had been terminated.
“Sutter Health has terminated the employees responsible for the inappropriate and insensitive photos posted on social media,” a spokesperson said in a statement, per People.
“This unacceptable behavior is an outright violation of our policies, shows a lack of respect for our patients and will not be tolerated,” it said. “Protecting the trust of those we serve is our highest priority and when that trust is violated, we take swift action to address it.”
“We expect all team members to live our patients-first mission and uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism and respect,” the representative went on. “We are using this inappropriate incident to reinforce our comprehensive policies with all our team members across the organization as part of our commitment to providing all patients with high-quality, compassionate care.”