At meetings of the Board of Sarasota Memorial Hospital several “public” speakers accused the hospital of various egregious faults and malfeasance against members of their families. Upon being pressed for details of the patients involved, either an answer was avoided, or admission that the patient was not at SMH. There were charges against the hospital for not providing unproven Covid-19 drugs, for following official professional and government policy and guidelines, and questioned the professional competence of those providing treatment.
When hospitals or physicians are accused of professional malpractice before the courts, the standard by which they are judged is whether they have followed standard, accepted practice for the community in which they practice. There is no freedom in our litigious society for non-research hospitals and physicians in the United States to experiment with unproven theories. If those who harass and harangue individual institutions sincerely want change, they need to turn their efforts to tort reform. If there is another agenda to their performance art, they are indeed creating chaos, besmirching the reputation of honest people and institutions, and costing needless expenses and wasting time for professionals who took an oath to help people in the community they serve.
Alan Sprintz
Board Member
Longboat Key Democratic Club