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The CEO of a hospital system in the Midwest is out of work after sending a bizarre letter to staff announcing that he would not wear a mask because he was believed to be immune after contracting COVID-19 his.
Kelby Krabbenhoft, who is not a doctor, has headed Sanford Health since 1996. Just weeks ago, after announcing a merger with Intermountain Health, he said he plans to stay for another 18 months.
But that changed after his email – which was shocking enough that Sanford officials were quick to issue a statement denying it.
In the note, he said he had recovered from the coronavirus and has now been immune for seven months – although medical experts say it is not clear how long the immunity will last.
Even more disturbing, Krabbenhoft informed staff that he wouldn’t wear a mask in the office, even though Sanford recommends masks and is headquartered in one of the worst hot spots in the country.
« If I wear a mask, it contradicts the effectiveness and purpose of a mask and sends a false message that I am susceptible to or could transmit infections, » wrote Krabbenhoft.
« I’m not interested in using masks as a symbolic gesture, » he added. “My team and I have a duty to express the truth, the facts and the reality and not to nurture the opposite. ”
« The » over and over again « behavior of the general population of mask use goes against any notion of serious infection management that I have been trained to follow, so some of it is absurd, » he wrote.
A spokesman for the health system that runs hundreds of rural hospitals and clinics and around 50. 000 employees, issued a damage control statement that the email was only « personal opinions about the virus » and not a company policy.
This was followed by a statement from other top Sanford executives who wrote, “We know words matter and words have power, and we regret that the message has frustrated and disappointed many. ”
Another announcement came on Tuesday evening that Krabbenhoft and Sanford had agreed to split up. The dethroned CEO told KELO-TV that the masked letter was not the impetus.
« If there was ever a time for a man who went through what I went through, this is a great time to say goodbye, » he said.
Kelby Krabbenhoft, General Manager of Sanford Health Home Medical Equipment
World News – US hospital director refusing to wear a mask that has been pushed into retirement
Ref: https://www.thedailybeast.com
