For most females, it’s already challenging trying to find a comfortable, safe, and professional office or an obgyn facility. While there are plenty of good ones, situations like this expose how some clinics fail to respect patients’ dignity and privacy, making the experience even more traumatic.
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Clinic Workers Mock Patients In Photos
Over Labor Day weekend, a group of workers at a California urgent care decided to pose for photos, mocking what seems to be pap smear discharge left behind by patients. To make matters worse, they shared it online. A clip featuring all of the distasteful pics was originally posted by a user and former employee under the handle @angieuncut. It has since been deleted.
All of these healthcare workers at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, CA, who posed next to stained exam paper need to be fined and/or fired.
Mocking patients like this is disgraceful.
Who would want to frequent a practice knowing this is how they mock you?pic.twitter.com/hxblVZl6sc
— Paul A. Szypula
(@Bubblebathgirl) September 3, 2025
Sutter Health Responds After Outrage
A spokesperson for Sutter Health’s Pesetas Urgent Care clinic, a Sansum Clinic facility in Santa Barbara, shared a statement to PEOPLE, revealing that these workers seen in the photos have since been fired.
“Sutter Health has terminated the employees responsible for the inappropriate and insensitive photos posted on social media,” a Sutter Health spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement.
“This unacceptable behavior is an outright violation of our policies, shows a lack of respect for our patients and will not be tolerated,” the statement continued. “Protecting the trust of those we serve is our highest priority and when that trust is violated, we take swift action to address it.”
Sutter Health also told the outlet that the employees were immediately placed on leave after they were made aware of the posts.
“We expect all team members to live our patients-first mission and uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism and respect,” the representative continues. “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.”
Public Reaction To The Pap Smear Mockery
The internet did not hold back. Twitter and Instagram users dragged the staff for mocking women’s most private health matters. Many pointed out how humiliating this would be for patients who trusted the clinic. One user wrote, “This is why women don’t feel safe at the doctor. Imagine finding out the people you trust with your body are laughing at you behind closed doors.”
The outrage also tapped into a bigger issue—how women’s health, especially reproductive health, is often dismissed or disrespected. The fact that this came from trained medical workers only adds fuel to the fire. Critics are now calling for stricter oversight and mandatory sensitivity training in clinics to prevent similar situations from happening again.
Healthcare isn’t just about medicine—it’s about humanity. Patients need to feel safe, respected, and valued when they walk through those doors. Every violation chips away at that fragile trust. And once it’s gone, it’s hard to get back.
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