Latest News From SDCMS | SDCMS Challenges Supervisors to Defend D

SDCMS Challenges Supervisors to Defend Dr. Wooten

June 25, 2020 Board of Directors, County of San Diego, COVID-19, Infectious Disease, Public Health, Public Health Officers, SDCMS Leadership, Board of Directors 0

The Executive Committee of the San Diego County Medical Society today sent each Member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors the following letter:

June 25, 2020

Hon. Greg Cox, Chair

Hon. Diane Jacob

Hon. Kristin Gaspar

Hon. Nathan Fletcher

Hon. Jim Desmond

San Diego County Board of Supervisors

County Administration Center

1600 Pacific Coast Highway

San Diego, CA 92101

Dear Supervisors:

On behalf of the San Diego medical community, we are writing to express the deep concern and tremendous sense of outrage felt by physicians throughout our county. We are extremely disappointed by the failure of the Members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to stand up against the personal abuse, attempted intimidation and doxing of our County Public Health Officer, Dr. Wilma Wooten.

At yesterday’s hearing there was no effort to terminate public testimony that personally insulted and abused Dr. Wooten and which attempted to intimidate her and threaten her safety by releasing her home information. There was no evidence that any of you attempted to defend Dr. Wooten, criticize this outrageous and inappropriate conduct, or express any personal sympathy to our County’s Public Health Officer for suffering this type of abuse for simply doing her job.

This was a jarring failure of leadership, basic civility and simple human decency by those who are elected to serve the people of our County. It is particularly egregious to allow this type of abusive targeting of an accomplished African-American woman.

While we understand that times are stressful and people are hoping for reopening, we must also maintain the health of the community of San Diego. We cannot reopen our economy without meticulous attention to and support of public health or we will suffer a significant increase in avoidable deaths that will disproportionately impact communities of color, people in the disability community, and older adults.

As you know, seven County Public Health Officers have announced their resignations since mid-April, largely due to public abuse, threats and intimidation. As medical professionals, it is unacceptable to us to allow the public’s health to be subverted and endangered because of the abusive acts of a few. We expect better here in San Diego. Our County Public Health Officer deserves better. The public’s health – and the professionals seeking to protect it – deserve your strongest possible support. We sincerely hope you will act accordingly in the future.

Sincerely,

Holly B. Yang, MD

President