A shocking video circulating on social media has exposed staff members at a Knoxville, Tennessee, dental office mercilessly mocking a cancer patient’s private diary as they read it aloud.
The video, which appears to have been recorded and shared online by a laughing employee, shows a staff member at Premier Dental Group of Knoxville reading passages from a patient’s journal to nearby colleagues.
The video shows employees laughing at patients’ opinions about different treatment options and their concerns about various procedures.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the dental clinic and calling for a boycott. KVUE reported.
Premier Dental Group of Knoxville posted an apology on Facebook, acknowledging the “inappropriate video created and shared by some of our employees that addressed an individual’s medical condition in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner.”
The video shows employees laughing at a patient’s thoughts about different treatment options and concerns about various procedures.
The video, which appears to have been recorded and shared online by a laughing employee, shows a staff member reading aloud passages from a patient’s diary to two colleagues.
However, the profile of the practice disappeared shortly after the statement was published.
“We deeply regret this incident and the harm it has caused,” the office wrote in the apology, which was later deleted. According to WBIR.
The group acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and said it was investigating.
“We take this matter very seriously. We have launched a thorough investigation into the incident and are taking immediate steps to address it. We have provided care to the employees involved and are reviewing our internal policies and training procedures to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again.”
In response, Premier Dental Group of Knoxville posted an apology on Facebook. The office’s account has since been deleted.
In 2023, the studio agreed to pay about $1 million to settle a lawsuit over allegations it defrauded Tennessee’s Medicaid program.
Some took to social media to criticize the practice.
“It’s pretty disturbing that these girls thought this was funny and they handle private patient information EVERY DAY,” one wrote. “So there’s no way to know what they’re doing with other people’s personal information.”
This was not the first controversy for Knoxville’s Premier Dental Group.
In 2023, the practice agreed to pay about $1 million to settle a lawsuit over allegations it defrauded Tennessee’s Medicaid program and potentially endangered patients through unqualified staff and unnecessary procedures, KVUE reported.