In a stunning turn of events that has reverberated across the healthcare community and social media alike, multiple employees at Sutter Health’s Pesetas Urgent Care clinic in Santa Barbara were fired this week after a viral TikTok video showed them mocking patients and behaving unprofessionally in exam rooms. The incident, which unfolded over the Labor Day weekend of 2025, has ignited a firestorm of outrage, prompted swift disciplinary action, and forced a reckoning over professional conduct and patient trust within one of California’s largest healthcare networks.
The controversy began when a TikTok video, posted by a user identified as @angieuncut—a former employee who had left the organization in July 2025—appeared online. The video, which quickly went viral, captured several staff members at the Santa Barbara urgent care clinic joking, pointing, and looking disgusted at bodily fluids left on examination tables, some of which were reportedly the result of pap smear tests. Screenshots, later obtained and circulated by local outlets such as the Santa Barbara Independent, revealed a series of six images: in one, a nurse in pink scrubs gave a thumbs-up beside a stained exam chair; in another, a staff member in blue scrubs bent down and stuck out her tongue near the stain. The video was captioned with phrases like “Guess the substance” and “Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?”—a tone that many found deeply disrespectful and dehumanizing.
Though the incriminating video was swiftly deleted by its original poster, its impact was already set in motion. As is often the case with viral content, copies had been downloaded and reposted across a slew of social media platforms, including TikTok, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), Yelp, and Instagram. The resulting backlash was swift and severe, with commenters from across the internet condemning the clinic staff’s behavior as "unethical," "vile," and "deeply unprofessional." One social media user, who identified as a nurse, wrote, "I am speechless. As a nurse, I feel second-hand embarrassment. This is beyond unprofessional and unethical." Others lamented the erosion of trust in healthcare, with one noting, "This kind of stuff makes it even harder than it already is for people to feel safe with taking care of their health."
As the outrage mounted, Sutter Health—an organization that operates more than 200 clinics across California and partners with Sansum Clinic, which joined the Sutter system in 2023—was quick to respond. In a series of statements to media outlets including PEOPLE, CalCoastNews, and local news stations, Sutter Health outlined the timeline of its disciplinary response. "Within 24 hours of becoming aware of the posts, we placed the employees on administrative leave, and within another 24 hours, we terminated those involved as part of this ongoing investigation," the organization stated. The company further emphasized, "This unacceptable behavior is an outright violation of our policies, shows a lack of respect for our patients and will not be tolerated."
According to Sutter Health, the former employee who posted the video had already been separated from the clinic for two months prior to the video’s viral spread. However, the other staff members visible in the footage were still employed when the incident surfaced. The clinic confirmed that all those identified in the video were swiftly placed on leave and subsequently fired. The organization declined to specify the exact number of employees terminated or whether all were medical staff, but the images and videos suggested that a significant number of staffers were involved.
Sutter Health’s leadership was unequivocal in its condemnation of the behavior. In a statement quoted by PEOPLE, a spokesperson 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." The organization also stressed its commitment to reinforcing its social media and professional conduct policies in the wake of the incident. "We expect all team members to live our patients-first mission and uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism, and respect," the statement read. "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."
The repercussions of the scandal extended far beyond the walls of Pesetas Urgent Care. Negative comments and reviews flooded Sutter Health’s Yelp, Google, Facebook, and Instagram accounts, as community members and patients expressed their anger and disappointment. The incident also drew national and international media attention, with outlets from news.com.au in Australia to major U.S. publications reporting on the "unacceptable" and "insane" behavior of the clinic staff. Many observers noted the potential for lasting damage to public trust in healthcare providers, particularly in sensitive settings such as women’s health and urgent care.
For Sutter Health, which serves over three million Californians and operates 21 hospitals and 11 medical groups, the stakes are high. The organization has made clear that its internal review remains ongoing. "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," Sutter Health stated. The company reiterated that patient trust and dignity "are always our top priority and any behavior that violates those standards is unacceptable."
The fired employees have not been publicly identified, and the original poster, known only as Angie, has since changed her username and made her TikTok account private. While the incident may have begun with a single ill-conceived video, its ripple effects have prompted a broader conversation about professionalism, privacy, and the responsibilities of healthcare workers in the digital age. As one social media commenter put it, "What immature jackasses. Like, what is the joke? 'Medical patient leaves medical waste behind on sheet designed to soak up said-medical waste.'"
Sutter Health now faces the challenge of rebuilding community trust and ensuring that such a violation of patient dignity does not occur again. The organization has pledged to reinforce its policies and retrain staff, hoping to reassure patients that their care and privacy remain paramount. As the investigation continues, the Santa Barbara community—and indeed, patients everywhere—will be watching closely to see what lessons are learned and what changes are made in the wake of this public reckoning.
In the aftermath, the message from Sutter Health is clear: patient trust, dignity, and respect are non-negotiable, and any breach of these values will be met with decisive action.
