Support Dr. Richard Zelman and Demand Transparency from Cape Cod Healthcare
Support Dr. Richard Zelman and Demand Transparency from Cape Cod Healthcare
The Issue
Dr. Richard Zelman’s privileges to practice medicine at Cape Cod Healthcare were revoked in retaliation for him raising patient safety concerns. This action prohibits him from being able to perform life saving procedures on Cape Cod and is another means to silence him from speaking out to protect the wellbeing of patients. We need to demand transparency from Cape Cod Healthcare and support Dr. Zelman as he has supported members of our community in their most vulnerable times over the last 30 years. If Dr. Zelman’s patient care privileges are not restored, both the quality and availability of cardiac care on Cape Cod will be threatened.
Both of my own parents have benefited from Dr. Zelman’s skilled intervention, thorough medical care, and willingness to go above and beyond for his patients. The hospital has been quick to remove Dr. Zelman’s ability to practice medicine, but they have not answered any of the claims that he has put forth regarding patient safety.
Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Hospital suspends privileges for cardiologist Richard Zelman
Dr. Zelman has spent 30 years building the cardiac care services of Cape Cod Healthcare and is a pillar of our community. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or what is going on in his personal life; if he is asked to come in and help save a life he will drop everything and be there within minutes - as he did for my parents when they needed his care. He is a brilliant physician who always seeks to advance his knowledge and skills to benefit the people of Cape Cod. He has worked countless hours day in and day out, being on call for emergencies more than any other physician at CCH and completing more procedures safely and successfully than any of his colleagues. You would be hard pressed to find someone whose life he hasn’t touched with his tremendous dedication to saving lives and his efforts to offer Cape Codders top notch healthcare.
We need to demand a better response from Cape Cod Healthcare and CEO Mike Lauf. There needs to be an independent investigation into the alarming patient safety claims that Dr. Zelman has brought to light. Had Dr. Zelman just wanted to make money he could have kept quiet about his concerns, but instead he spoke out because it was the right thing to do. Cape Cod Healthcare’s continued retaliations against Dr. Zelman are an indication that it is more important to silence him than to demonstrate their commitment to patient safety by openly addressing the concerns he has raised. We need to demand those answers and see the results of an independent review of Cape Cod Healthcare and its Chief Executive Officer. Cape Cod Healthcare is a true monopoly and is the largest employer of healthcare workers in the region. Those employees need to be able to express quality concerns without fear of retaliation.
Opinion/Letters: Zelman saves lives, Lauf saves money: https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/opinion/letters/2023/01/08/cape-cod-times-opinionletters-zelman-saves-lives-lauf-saves-money/69771002007/
Dr. Zelman lost his job and his livelihood due to the fact that he wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak out against unsafe practices. He even declined a $1 million contract because it was conditional upon him writing a public letter of support for the safety of cardiac care program which he had raised the concerns about. Cape Cod Healthcare claims that Dr. Zelman’s lawsuit was a contract negotiation tactic, but if that were the case he could have kept quiet about any patient safety issues and continued his career there until his retirement.
We need to demand that an independent investigation takes place to look into these claims and that his patient care privileges are restored. We are calling for the Board of Trustees of Cape Cod Healthcare to investigate these claims with an independent third party, and to assure all healthcare workers that they can speak out and guarantee there will be no reprisal. Please sign and share this petition to reinstate Dr. Zelman at Cape Cod Healthcare so he can get back to doing what he does best: saving the lives of the people of the Cape and Islands.
Here is a link to the public court filing detailing the claims Dr. Zelman has made against Cape Cod Healthcare: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23403898-zelman-v-cape-cod-hospital
4,619
The Issue
Dr. Richard Zelman’s privileges to practice medicine at Cape Cod Healthcare were revoked in retaliation for him raising patient safety concerns. This action prohibits him from being able to perform life saving procedures on Cape Cod and is another means to silence him from speaking out to protect the wellbeing of patients. We need to demand transparency from Cape Cod Healthcare and support Dr. Zelman as he has supported members of our community in their most vulnerable times over the last 30 years. If Dr. Zelman’s patient care privileges are not restored, both the quality and availability of cardiac care on Cape Cod will be threatened.
Both of my own parents have benefited from Dr. Zelman’s skilled intervention, thorough medical care, and willingness to go above and beyond for his patients. The hospital has been quick to remove Dr. Zelman’s ability to practice medicine, but they have not answered any of the claims that he has put forth regarding patient safety.
Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Hospital suspends privileges for cardiologist Richard Zelman
Dr. Zelman has spent 30 years building the cardiac care services of Cape Cod Healthcare and is a pillar of our community. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or what is going on in his personal life; if he is asked to come in and help save a life he will drop everything and be there within minutes - as he did for my parents when they needed his care. He is a brilliant physician who always seeks to advance his knowledge and skills to benefit the people of Cape Cod. He has worked countless hours day in and day out, being on call for emergencies more than any other physician at CCH and completing more procedures safely and successfully than any of his colleagues. You would be hard pressed to find someone whose life he hasn’t touched with his tremendous dedication to saving lives and his efforts to offer Cape Codders top notch healthcare.
We need to demand a better response from Cape Cod Healthcare and CEO Mike Lauf. There needs to be an independent investigation into the alarming patient safety claims that Dr. Zelman has brought to light. Had Dr. Zelman just wanted to make money he could have kept quiet about his concerns, but instead he spoke out because it was the right thing to do. Cape Cod Healthcare’s continued retaliations against Dr. Zelman are an indication that it is more important to silence him than to demonstrate their commitment to patient safety by openly addressing the concerns he has raised. We need to demand those answers and see the results of an independent review of Cape Cod Healthcare and its Chief Executive Officer. Cape Cod Healthcare is a true monopoly and is the largest employer of healthcare workers in the region. Those employees need to be able to express quality concerns without fear of retaliation.
Opinion/Letters: Zelman saves lives, Lauf saves money: https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/opinion/letters/2023/01/08/cape-cod-times-opinionletters-zelman-saves-lives-lauf-saves-money/69771002007/
Dr. Zelman lost his job and his livelihood due to the fact that he wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak out against unsafe practices. He even declined a $1 million contract because it was conditional upon him writing a public letter of support for the safety of cardiac care program which he had raised the concerns about. Cape Cod Healthcare claims that Dr. Zelman’s lawsuit was a contract negotiation tactic, but if that were the case he could have kept quiet about any patient safety issues and continued his career there until his retirement.
We need to demand that an independent investigation takes place to look into these claims and that his patient care privileges are restored. We are calling for the Board of Trustees of Cape Cod Healthcare to investigate these claims with an independent third party, and to assure all healthcare workers that they can speak out and guarantee there will be no reprisal. Please sign and share this petition to reinstate Dr. Zelman at Cape Cod Healthcare so he can get back to doing what he does best: saving the lives of the people of the Cape and Islands.
Here is a link to the public court filing detailing the claims Dr. Zelman has made against Cape Cod Healthcare: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23403898-zelman-v-cape-cod-hospital
4,619
Supporter Voices
Petition created on January 4, 2023