A shocking video circulating on social media reveals staff at a Knoxville, Tennessee, dental office mercilessly mocking a cancer patient’s private diary while reading it aloud.
The footage, which was likely recorded and shared online by a giggling employee, shows a staff member at Premier Dental Group in Knoxville reading passages from a patient’s diary to colleagues sitting nearby.
The video shows staff laughing at patients’ thoughts about different treatment options and concerns about various procedures.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the dental practice and calling for a boycott. KVUE reported.
Premier Dental Group of Knoxville has apologized on Facebook, acknowledging the “inappropriate video created and shared by some of our employees that discusses 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 different procedures
The footage, which was apparently recorded and shared online by a giggling employee, shows a staff member reading passages from a patient’s diary to two colleagues
However, the practice’s profile disappeared shortly after the statement was published.
“We deeply regret this incident and the pain it caused,” the practice wrote in its now-deleted apology. according to WBIR.
The group acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and said it would investigate.
“We take this matter very seriously. We have launched a thorough investigation into the incident and are taking immediate action to address it. The employees involved have been contacted and we are reviewing our internal policies and training procedures to ensure that such an incident does not occur again.”
Premier Dental Group of Knoxville responded by issuing an apology on Facebook. The practice’s account has since been deleted.
In 2023, the practice agreed to pay about $1 million to settle a lawsuit over allegations it defrauded Tennessee’s Medicaid program
Some expressed their criticism of the practice via social media.
“It’s pretty disturbing that these girls thought this was funny and they’re dealing with patients’ private information EVERY DAY,” one person wrote. “So there’s no telling what they’re doing with other people’s personal information.”
This was not the first controversy at Premier Dental Group of Knoxville.
In 2023, the practice agreed to pay about $1 million to settle a lawsuit over allegations it defrauded Tennessee’s Medicaid program and potentially put patients at risk through unqualified staff and unnecessary procedures, KVUE reported.
