This past Friday, On Live at Five did a story about Dr. Michael Skelly being fired by HHC from his position as an Infectious Disease Medicine from Lincoln Hospital. As a member of a Community Advisory Board of another Health and Hospitals Corporation facility I am appalled, embarrassed and sad that this action was taken. I feel that he is being used as a scapegoat for a system which is not always transparent in disclosing facts the community should know.
Dr. Michael Skelly, who worked for 13 years at the Bronx hospital as an infectious disease specialist, plans to file a lawsuit against the city claiming that he was wrongfully dismissed.
Dr. Skelly is well known as a professional who specializes in infectious diseases such as legionnaires. He takes his responsibility to those he serves very seriously. He also goes by the rules regarding privacy and confidentiality. Apparently some at HHC, and most likely Lincoln Hospital, do not believe in transparency and believe that professional responsibility ends at the door to HHC facilities. Therefore, those individuals and HHC want Dr. Skelly to be the fall guy for a lack of transparency.
We cannot allow that.
Dr. Skelly has worked at Lincoln Hospital as a doctor who treated Legionnaires’ patients at the height of the South Bronx outbreak over the summer — which claimed 16 lives. He was fired after he went to dozens of patients homes to test their drinking water from their taps. It appears that he followed protocols regarding patient privacy by calling 37 former patients at Lincoln Hospital to explain what he was doing and asked their permission to take a sample of their water.
“I called patients and asked if I could come, I told them who I was and of my concern that the water inside the apartment might be part of the problem.” Dr. Skelly explained. He then had the water tested, saying that he visited the homes of 37 patients beginning on August 10th.
Six of the homes he visited came back positive for having legionella (the bacteria that causes the disease) in their water.
This is not questioning the remote chance of getting legionnaires’ from tap water but it is to condemn the HHC for firing a doctor who did what the Department of Health should have done.
The facts about any possibility of getting the disease should have been communicated after testing by DOH. It was not.
Dr. Skelly did what was professionally correct and what should be the mission of doctors.
All of us should be calling on HHC to reverse its decision and reinstate Dr. Skelly. Communities served by Lincoln Hospital and all communities in the Bronx should protest this action along with our elected officials, to call for the reinstatement of Dr. Michael Skelly.
On Sunday, I briefly discussed Dr. Skelly’s situation with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who said that he was aware of the issue. Today, John DeSio, Communications Director for Borough President, stated, “Our office will be looking into the matter of Dr. Skelly’s firing.”
In the past I have always given credit to HHC for their diligence and professionalism. I hope to see that faith restored.
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