Florida cardiologist says he was fired for criticizing the hospital—they say it’s because of inappropriate comments

Cardiologist Gary Idelchik, MD, has filed a lawsuit against BayCare Health System in Florida after they fired him from his job as a cardiac cath lab director in July.

According to a new report from the Tampa Bay Times, Idelchik claims he was let go for pointing out problems he encountered after starting work at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa Bay. BayCare, on the other hand, has said that Idelchik was fired after he made inappropriate comments about using guns in the workplace and later refused to complete a “fitness for duty” evaluation.

While all parties failed to comment on the case when contacted by the Times, reporter Romy Ellenbogen provided a thorough summary of the situation. One detail that stands out is that the two sides don’t seem to agree on what Idelchik’s duties were while working at the hospital. Also, Idelchik claimed he asked for more details about the inappropriate comments he supposedly made—and he never heard back.

Click the link below for the full story:

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

Around the web

One of the most formidable societies of medical professionals in the U.S. is going toe-to-toe with Robert F. Kennedy’s HHS over changing vaccination recommendations. 

Tom Price, MD, former secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), said one way to address the growing shortage of physicians is to expand medical resident positions, but these are tied to Medicare spending so alternative means may be needed.

"Domestic radiopharmaceutical suppliers, who receive isotopes from abroad, would be impacted by price changes and uncertainty caused by additional tariffs,” SNMMI President Cathy Cutler, PhD, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce this week.