[ad_1]
The company said so and Kelby Krabbenhoft “mutually agreed to separate.”
The head of one of the Midwest’s largest regional health systems announced his retirement this week, amid controversy over recent statements he made about COVID-19.
Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announced Tuesday that it has separated from longtime CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft.
The announcement comes after Krabbenhoft emailed healthcare workers on November 18, saying he would not wear a mask at work because he had recovered from COVID-19, according to the Associated Press . The letter was obtained by several news agencies, including the AP and the North Dakota-based Forum News Service, which printed it in full here.
Sanford Health distanced itself from Krabbenhoft after the email was published.
“Kelby Krabbenhoft’s email was based on her own experience with COVID-19 and her personal views on the virus. They do not reflect the perspective of our healthcare system as a whole,” the organization said on Twitter on November 20.
“Sanford Health’s position is the same as it always has been: consistently wearing masks, avoiding crowds and staying home if you are sick are key to preventing the spread of the virus. It is important to follow [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] directives, ”he continued.
In a press release Tuesday, Sanford Health officials did not mention the email, simply saying the organization and Krabbenhoft have “mutually agreed to separate.”
“Kelby’s impact on the organization and the communities it serves will be felt for generations to come,” Board Chairman Brent Teiken said in a statement.
In a statement sent to Sioux Falls ABC affiliate KSFY-TV, Krabbenhoft said it was “the right time to retire”.
“Sanford is in a good position, the strongest ever,” said Krabbenhoft, who had served as chief executive officer since 1996. “It’s Thanksgiving week and almost exactly 25 years that my family is. arrived here. It’s a good time to say goodbye. ‘”
Sanford Health’s network includes 46 hospitals in 26 states and 10 countries. According to its website, clinic employees, patients and visitors must wear masks.
According to the copy of the email obtained by Forum News Service, Krabbenhoft said people who have not yet contracted the virus should wear a mask. “It’s important for them to know that the masks are just smart to use and in their best interests,” the email said.
But for him, wearing a mask “sends a false message that I am susceptible to infection or that I could pass it on,” he wrote, adding that he had “no interest in using masks as symbolic gesture “.
In the email, Krabbenhoft, who is not a doctor, also said he was immune to COVID-19 for at least seven months “and possibly for years to come.”
Reinfection with COVID-19 is “rare,” although such cases have been reported, the CDC noted. He recommends that people wear a mask in public “whether or not you’ve had COVID-19.”
Krabbenhoft told Sioux Falls station KELO-TV last week that his email had been misinterpreted.
“Everything I did in my letter was, again, in an encouraging, positive way as a recovering viral patient, suggesting that there is a growing body of evidence and discussion on the longevity of the resulting immunity. That’s all I said, ”he told the station, citing a New York Times article on new research on COVID-19 immunity that was published earlier this month- this.
Sanford Health’s revenue comes as South Dakota sees an increase in hospitalizations. The state has the highest hospitalization rate in the United States, according to the COVID Tracking Project, with 649 hospitalizations per 1 million people.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has not issued any statewide restrictions or mask warrants during the coronavirus pandemic. Sioux Falls officials last week approved an ordinance requiring masks inside retail businesses and city facilities when social distancing cannot be maintained.
[ad_2]
Source link