Several healthcare workers at a Southern California urgent care clinic have been fired after posting a viral TikTok video that mocked patients by posing with bodily fluids left behind in exam rooms.
The since-deleted clip, originally posted by TikTok user @angieuncut, showed former staff members at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara posing around stained exam tables. In one frame, a female employee gave a thumbs-up beside what appeared to be pap smear discharge. Another showed a worker bending over a large stain with the caption, "All shapes and sizes."
The video ended with multiple staffers gathered around another marked exam table, accompanied by the caption, "Make sure you leave your healthcare workers sweet gifts like these!"
Although the original upload was quickly taken down, reposts continued circulating across TikTok, Reddit, and X, fueling widespread outrage. Sutter Health, which operates more than 200 clinics across California and is partnered with Sansum Clinic, confirmed the dismissals in a statement posted online.
"Sutter Health has terminated the employees responsible for the inappropriate and insensitive photos posted on social media," the statement read. "This unacceptable behavior is an outright violation of our policies, shows a lack of respect for our patients, and will not be tolerated."
The organization also clarified that the individual who initially posted the video had already been separated from Sansum Clinic for two months, and that the other staffers involved were placed on leave before being fired.
"Protecting the trust of those we serve is our highest priority, and when that trust is violated we take swift action and address it," the statement added.
Sutter Health emphasized that the actions of the fired staff do not reflect the values or standards of the wider clinic system.
