The settlement between Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard doctor who said she endured years of sexist treatment — and punishment for complaining about it — is a hallelujah moment for working women everywhere.
It took courage for Dr. Carol Warfield, the former chief of anesthesia there, to file suit against a premier teaching hospital, the chief of surgery who she said humiliated her, and the chief executive who she said ignored her complaints. It also took tenacity to press forward as the defendants tried to bury her in endless paper and pleadings.
Comments
BIDMC has a weird reputation in the Longwood Medical Area as an authority driven, top down organization that doesn't grant employees the authority to do their jobs. Abuse of power at the top is completely unsurprising. Unfotunate, but unsurprising. The doc cutting his fingernails sounds like a real winner...
Bravo, Dr. Warfield for your persistence in calling BIDMC out!
So why didn't she sue Fischer instead of Beth Israel?
I believe she sued Fischer for discrimination, Paul Levy for discriminating and condoning and BI for looking the other way.
$7 million for "harassment"? Could the hospital not put that money to better use? Updating equipment? Giving underpaid staff a raise? Forgiving medical bills that the poor incurred, but cannot afford to pay? No, the hospital gives the money to a physician who already likely receives a substantial income because her feelings were hurt. Today, it's not enough for a hospital to provide high-quality care to the community, invest in high-tech equipment, hire and train the best physicians, or train its staff; no, it's also required to manage relationships between physicians and insure that they treat each other with kid gloves. A bunch of feel good, politically correct nonsense.
Really, Ronin555?! I am an emergency department physician, and we "cowboy up" with the best of them, but we draw a line at open discrimination and sexism (well, at least some of us). But do you really want an arrogant, disrespectful, sexist in charge of the surgery department? There are plenty of equally talented surgeons who are not blow-hards like Fischer. That kind of crap works well in books or the movies but not in real life...the job itself is stressful enough, no need that type of harassment.
As for the 7 million, what else besides a financial punishment/fine makes a place like BIDMC change its ways? A letter say please stop...I believe the female physician tried using the chain of command and was punished for it.
tjwrightdo,
Where do you read in my comments that I "want" an a sexist in charge? And I doubt the relationship was as one-sided as depicted in the Globe. If the physician was punished for complaining to her superiors, perhaps it was because she had earned a reputation as a whiner. And many professions are stressful. Criminal defense lawyers deal with arrogant, disrespectful and completely unreasonable judges many days, while trying to do their jobs. But, today we're obsessed with protecting the feelings of, mostly women, children, and minorities. I mean, can you imagine the Globe celebrating a $7 million dollar settlement for a male physician who felt disrespected and harassed by a male -- or female -- superior?
But all of that is really irrelevent. The hospital took a limited and very valuable resource -- millions of dollars -- and gave it to a physician to compensate her for, really, nothing more than hurt feelings.
Unfortunately, some doctors think they are licensed to be arrogant. Arrogance seems to be prevelant in the medical world especially among surgeons. Historically, they earned their stereotype. This law suit was punishment for a long-term and inexcusable discriminating behavior. Some people are so caught up with themselves while being self-centered, they're just not interested in displaying common decency in the workplace.
While I practice in the emergency department (ED), not the OR, it is pretty much the same here...lots of cowboys who see woman and "unift" to work in the "rodeo" that is the ED...very hard to believe in 2013, but it still exists...it was even worse during my residency training in the early 1990's in Texas...attending phyisicians frequently used sexist language when speaking with female residences...the surgeons were the worse followed, unfortunately, by ED physicians.
Why is it necessary to describe Dr. Warfield as "a Harvard doctor." What kind of doctor is that?? Are only "Harvard doctors" eligible to challenge abuse? Ms. Vennochi, please get your nose out of the air.