California urgent care staffers fired for TikTok mocking patients

ktla ^ | 09/03/2025 | : Lily Dallow

[BenLurkin]

Several urgent care workers in Santa Barbara have been fired after a TikTok taken inside medical exam rooms went viral over Labor Day weekend, officials confirmed to KTLA.

The post shows a compilation of photos where Sansum Clinic workers are joking and posing with patients’ bodily fluids left on exam tables.

Text over one of the first images reads, “Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?” followed by slides showing staff laughing, pointing, and even posing playfully around the stains with the caption: “guess the substance!” In another frame, the on-screen words say “all shades and opacities.”

In the last frame of the post, the text on top of a group photo around a stain reads, “make sure to leave your healthcare workers sweet gifts like these!”

[Intar]

I don’t see their “offense” of posing with the urine samples and commenting on them as a fireable one.

California and the Federal Statues have patient privacy laws that forbid activities such as these TikTok videos. HIPAA could also apply in some circumstances. It also violates many healthcare provider professional standards and could result in fines or even revocation of licensing from various medical boards. You simply CANNOT post anything about a patient - or from a patient - to the public. Very bad idea.