ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - KMOX has exclusively obtained a letter sent by 500 doctors to the St. Louis County Council condemning the alleged treatment of acting Health Director Faisal Khan.
Khan alleges that he was physically and verbally assaulted by attendees at last week's council meeting. Doctor Khan was adamant in an interview with KMOX Friday, his main concern is the transmission of Covid in the County. But he believes his appearance was not for the purpose of informing the council about why masks are so important, instead he was questioned about his credentials, then jeered and heckled when he tried to present his evidence.
The following is the letter sent to the Council:
As physicians who have continued to show up for our patients and your constituents during the COVID19 pandemic, we are writing to convey our deep disappointment in the events that took place at the St. Louis County Council meeting July 27th, 2021. We stand in full support of our colleague Dr. Faisal Khan and are appalled at the disrespect that this council allowed.
The pandemic has been difficult for so many, but for health care workers and the public health experts that are on the front lines constantly reevaluating the data and making the difficult decisions on how to best keep our families, friends, and community safe, it has also become dangerous. Dr. Khan is an EXPERT, and in sharing the gift of his knowledge and experience with you, he was verbally and physically attacked, becoming yet another unfortunate pawn in what has become a political, not a public, health fight.
We call on the St. Louis County Council members to deescalate rhetoric and move to protect and support the Department of Public health leaders and staff. These tactics are not unique to St. Louis county, but they can stop with you. Public health officials throughout the U.S. have faced threats and harassment and many have left the field as a consequence (Public Health Officials Face Wave Of Threats, Pressure Amid Coronavirus Response | Kaiser Health News (khn.org). The County Council and leadership have the ability to reduce threats by condemning the actions of some on July 27, 2021.
The Council must take clear action to condemn what has already transpired and to prevent further disintegration of the trusted space that both elected officials and health care providers have the honor of sharing. We are grateful for Dr. Khan’s leadership and commitment and saddened by the reality that engaging in scientific dialogue has made him a target. We implore you to investigate every threat of violence and every racist or xenophobic slur our public health servants face in the tireless execution of their jobs.
We appreciate your attention to this exceedingly important issue.
Sincerely,
Eva M. Aagaard, MD Philip Abraham, MD Fadee Abualrub, MD Foluso Ademuyiwa, MD MPH MSCI Shannon C. Agner, MD, PhD Tabassum Ahmad MD Saima Ahmad, MD Fahd Ahmad, MD, MSCI Neha Akkad, MD Najat Al-Sherri, MD Duha Al-Zubeidi, MD Samer Alkaade, MD M. Allison Ogden, MD Osama Altayar, MD Jane Alyce Hunt, MD Surachai Amornswadwattana, MD Jagruti Anadkat, MD Siri Ancha, MD Bjorn Anderson, MD Charmaine Ansari, MD Olivia Aranha, MD PhD Jordan Atkins MD, MPHS Sarah AuBuchon, MD Karen Austin, MD Sara M. Ayers, MD Naazia Azhar, MD Tahreem Aziz, DO Hilary Babcock, MD, MPH Ramya Baddigam, MD Maria Q Baggstrom, MD FACP Thomas C. Bailey, MD Erin Bakanas, MD, HMDC Elise Bardawil, MD Kevin Barton, MD Kevin Baszis, MD Maria S. Baszis, MD Marie Batty, MD Kevin T. Bauerle MD, PhD Jessica D. Bauerle, MD Erin Baum, MD Margaret Baum, MD Natalie Baumann MD Christie A Bayer, MD, FAAP Shannon Beermann, MD Shaila Bellard, MD Daniel Berg, MD, MPH Laura Bergin, MD Rachel Berkovich, MD Amber Bernhardt, MD Faiza Bhatti, MD Jennifer Bickhaus, MD Elisa Birnbaum,MD Monica Bishop, MD Elizabeth Blaney, MD Katherine H. Bligard, MD, MA Gregory W. Bligard, MD, PhD Sydney Blount, MD Thomas Blount, MD Marie Bosch, MD, PhD Joseph P. Bradley, MD, FACS Colleen Braun, DO Amelia Bray-Aschenbrenner, MD Kelleigh Briden, MD Angela L. Brown, MD Shaina F. Bruce, MD Monique Bruinsma, MD MS Jennifer Brunworth MD Louis Brunworth MD Erica Buchalter, MD Arianna Buckley, MD Sarah Buday, Ph.D.
Tara Budetti, MD Shelley Burge, MD, MEd Lucia Goodwin Burgess, MD Broc A. Burke, MD, PhD Christa Burke, LCSW Brendon Burke, MD Kylie M. Bushroe, MD Alicia Busso, MD Derek E. Byers, MD, PhD Meredith S. Byers, M.D.
Charles Caffrey, MD Nandini Calamur, MD Archna Calfee, MD Kim A. Carmichael, MD, FACP Ebony Carter, MD, MPH Erin Casey MD Devin Cash, MD, PhD Amanda Cashen, MD Sonia Chacko, MD Murali Chakinala, MD Cosette Champion, MD Alpana Chandra, MD Dennis Chang, MD Rida Chaudhry MD Sadaf S. Chaudhry MD Miguel A. Chavez MD, MSc Lakshmi Ramya Chelapareddy, MBBS Collin Chen, MD Christine Chen, MD Rebecca Chen, MD Joseph Cherabie, MD MSc Stephen Chi, MD Katherine Childress, MD Katherine Childress, MD Jon Chiles, MD Ramya Chinnasamy, MD Bhavana Choudhary, MD Amanda Chu, MD Thomas Ciesielski, MD Abbye Clark, MD Katherine Clifton, MD Lindsay Clukies, MD Rachel Cohen, MD MSc Meisha Colletti, MD Lora Collier, MD Megan Cooper, MD, PhD Shyna Cornell, MD Adam Cox, MD Katy Cox, MD John J. Cras, MD Sharon Cresci, MD Misty Crider Day, MD Lara W. Crock, MD PhD MSCI Paulina Cruz Bravo, MD Kristen Cundiff, MD Kristin Cundiff, MD Christopher Cundiff, MD Kelly Currie, MD Amy E. Cyr, MD Aarti Dalal, DO Preeti Dalawari, MD,MSPH Rajan P. Dang Edward Daniel, MD, PhD Maria Dans, MD Anthony Dao, MD Natasha Fein Davis, MD Brian Day, MD, PhD Kevin deHaan, MD Angeline DeiSanti, MD David Dempsher, MD Leanne DePalma, MD Amber Deptola, MD, FACP Nicole Deptula MD Sid Devarakonda, MD Rachel Dickerson, MD Shelby Dickison, MD John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD Katherine Dittman, DO Avi Dobrusin, MD Michael Dombrowski, MD Julianne Donnelly, MD Colleen Donovan MD Matthew Dougherty, MD Sheila E. Drnec, MS, DO Julie Drobish, MD Umber Dube, MD, PhD Amanda R. Dube, MD Jennifer M. Dunn, MD Michael J. Durkin MD MPH Lauren East, MD Adam Eaton, MD Evelynn Eckert, DO David Eisenberg, MD, MPH, FACOG Alysa Ellis, MD Gerome Escota, MD Tara Evans, MD Timothy Evans, MD Elyse Everett, MD Bryan Faller, MD Rania Farhat, MD Nyssa Farrell, MD Todd Fehniger, MD, PhD Kora Felsch, MD Emily F. Fishman, MD, MSCI Brian M. Fishman, DO, MS Michael Forsberg, MD Mary E. Fournier, MD, MPH Victoria Fraser, MD Emily Freeman, DO Anu French, MD Lisa de las Fuentes, MD, MS Steve Fuest, MD Dana Galbraith, MD Sumanth Gandra MD,MPH Mia Ganninger, MD Caryn Garriga, MD Sarah Garwood MD Elvin H. Geng, MD, MPH Ige A. George MD MS Alvin George, MD Rafif Ghadban, MD Chiara Ghetti, MD, MSc Katie Gholson, MSW Bria Giacomino, DO Malika Gill, MD Margo Girardi, MD Tracey L. Godbold, MD Michelle Goetz, DO, FACOI Jessica Gold, MD MS Anne Carol Goldberg, MD Parul Gor, MD Shreya Goswami, MD Jonah M. Graves, MD M. Rosanna Gray-Swain, MD, FACOG Salina Green, MD Lauren Gregory, MD Georgeann Groh, MD Georgeann Groh, MD Jesse Groh, MD Lucas Gu, DO Katharine Gurba, MD, PhD Dawn Hagan,MD Carah Hahs, MD Bruce L Hall, MD, PhD, MBA Gmerice Hammond, MD MPH Stephanie Hampel, LCSW Rachel Han, MD Jonathan C Hanson, ANP-BC Janice L. Hanson, PhD, EdS, MH Elizabeth Harrison, MD Mohit Harsh, MD Sabika Hassan, MD Mallory Hawksworth, MD Krysta Heath, MD Steven Hedgecorth, DO Amanda Heidemann MD Jennifer Heithaus, MD Katherine Henderson, MD Mia Henderson, MD, PhD Jeffrey Henderson, MD, PhD Kara Hennelly, MD MaryJo Hernandez, MD Cynthia Herrick, MD, MPHS Jennifer B. Hillman,MD Rose Hiner, MD Angela C Hirbe, MD, PhD Erik R Hoefgen, MD Holly R Hoefgen, MD Mackenzie Hofford, MD Caroline Holleck Kahle, MD Millicent Horn, MD Thomas Hoyt, MD Kevin Hsueh, MD Jiaxin Huang, MD Mustafa Husaini, MD Molly Huston, MD Bridget C. Huysman, MD, MPH Joseph Ippolito MD, PhD Rubab Jafri, MD Nida Jamal, MD Adria Jerkovich, MD Xuntian Jiang, PhD Sharon Jick, MD Jesus Jimenez, MD, PhD Shannon JOerger, MD Will Johansen, MD Heather A. Jones, MD Kai Jones, MD Heather Joyce, MD Karen E. Joynt Maddox, MD MPH Joseph Kahn, MD Pamela Kane, MD Patrick Kane, MD Carol M Kao, MD Aman Kataria, MD Andrew M Kates, MD Jennifer Kaufman, MD Sweta Kavali, MD Pavan Kavli, MD Karla Keaney, MD Brian A. Kelly, MD Jeannie C. Kelly, MD, MS Melanie Kennedy, MD Jason Keune, MD, MBA Dineo Khabele, MD Kirin Khan, MD Alexandra Khodadadi MD, MSPH Alfred H.J. Kim, MD, PhD Ellen Kim, MD Erin King, MD Wilson King, MD Marta King, MD, MEd Maleewan Kitcharoensakkul, MD, MSCI Cristine Klatt-Cromwell, MD Brendan Knapp, MD Carolyn Koenig, MD Nikoleta S. Kolovos, MD Carole Kounga, MD PharmD Valerie Kover, MD Katherine L. Kreusser, MD Ashley K Krull, CPNP Denise H. Kung, MD, MBA Lindsay Kuroki, MD, MSCI Howard Kurz, MD, MSE Lauren Kus, MD Abby Kushnir, MD Julia Lagow, DO Liling Lai,MD Fatima Lakhani, MD Sara Lander, MD Jennifer LaPlante, MD, PhD, FACS Gina LaRossa, MD Kathryn Law, MD Steve Lawrence, MD, MSc Caroline K. Lee, MD Eileen Lee, MD Ryan Lee, MD Kathryn Leonard, MD Han Li, MD Stephanie Liebmann, MD Judith Lieu, MD, MSPH Roberta Lima, MD Angela Lin, MD Kathryn Lindley, MD Anabeth Liu, MD Dianna Liu, MD Sarah LoCoco, MD Irfan Lodhi, PhD Francis Loh, MD Alexa Loncharich, MD Zachary Lonjers, MD Sarah Lord, MD Annemarie Loth, MD Jerry Lowder, MD, MSc Kathleen Lowe, MD Brendan P. Lucey, MD, MSCI Matthew Lui, MD Herman Luther, MD, MBA Janki Luther, MD, MPH Maureen Lyons, MD Patrick Lyons, MD, MSc Ningning Ma, MD Zainab Mahmoud MD Elaine Majerus, MD PhD Nisha Mangalat, MD Shaheen Mansoor, MD, MBA Jeffrey Marinshaw, MD Laura Marks, MD PhD Elizabeth Marsicano MD Tonya Martin-Dunlap, MD Nathan Martin, MD Anita Mathew, MD Caline Mattar, MD Kara Mayes, MD Margaret McCarthy, MD Kelly McDermott, MD Peter McDonnell, MD Cheryl McDonough, MD Colleen McEvoy, MD Jasmin McGinty, MD Ryan McGuire, MD Melanie McKean, DO, PhD James McMenimen, MD Colleen McNicholas, DO, MSCI Leslie Fogel, MD, PhD Jerry Fong, MD, PhD Kathleen Meacham, MD, PhD Christina Meddows-Jackson, MD Neha Mehta-Shah, MD, MSCI Manuela Mejia, MD Joshua Mendoza, MD Kristen Mennemeier, MD Shilpa Menolascino, MD Sambul Meraj, MD Adam Merando, MD Sarah Mermelstein, MD Andrew Michelson, MD Jenny Miele, MD Amy E Miller, MD Donna Miller, MD Anna N. Miller, MD Carrie Mintz, MD Aaloke Mody, MD Jeremy Moll, MD Catherine R. Moore, DO Lauren Rogowski Moran, MD Heather Morgan, DO Zachary Morgan, MD Aubrey R Morrison MD, MACP Hayley Motowski, MD Monalisa Mullick, MD Saulat Mushtaq, MD Terence M. Myckatyn, MD, FACS, FRCSC Tasnim Najaf, MD Arjun Natarajan, MBBS Sameera Natarajan, MBBS Puja Natesan, MD, MPH Nathan Neilson, MD Molly Nelsen, DO Sarah Newland Jason Newland, MD, M.Ed.
Angela Nguyen, MD Nguyet Nguyen, MD Ellen Nicastro, MD Joan Niehoff, MD Julie Nogee, MD Karen Norton, MD Lauren O’Grady, MD Anthony Odibo, MD Devin Odom, MD Elizabeth Odom, MD Stephen Oh, MD, PhD Hilary Olowski, MD Kenan Omurtag, MD Marisa Omurtag, MD Michelle Ong, MD Rachel Orcheln, MD Erin Orf, MD Bradley W. Ornstein, MD Rachel C. Orscheln, MD Blessing Osondu, MD Lekha Pandya, MD Saif Paracha, MD Solomon Park, MD, MPH Tej Patel, MD Jay Patel, MD Renuka Patel, MD Urvi Patel, MD Rina Patney, MD Vikram Patney, MD Jacqueline Payton, MD, PhD Marta Perez MD Gillian C Pet, MD MSCI Mitchell Pet, MD Lindsay L. Peterson, MD, MSCR Aaron Pickrell, MD Christie Pickrell, MD Alex Plattner, MD, MBA Katie Plax, MD Cynthia Poelker, MD Brooke Polk, MD Brock Polnaszek, MD Bill Powderly MD Matthew A. Powell, MD Jill Powell, MD Christopher Prater, MD, MPH Varun Puri, MD Jenna Michaels Putzel, MD, MPH Nishath Quader, MD Patricia Quinley, MD Todd Rackohn, MD Nandini Raghuraman MD MS Farheen Raja, MD Furqan Raja, MD Rekha Ramanuja,MD Roxane Rampersad, MD David P. Rasche, MD Shawn Reathaford, MD Dominic Reeds MD Susan Reeds, MD, FACP Melissa A. Reimers, MD Hilary Reno, MD, PhD Julie Rhee, MD Noor Riaz, MD, MPH Michael W. Rich, MD Amy E. Riek, MD, MSCI Heide Rodgers, MD Cynthia Rogers, MD Sarah J. Rollin, MD Joanie Rosebaum, MD Diane Rosen, DO Anna Roshal, MD Ilana Rosman, MD Will Ross, MD, MPH Molly Rozier Chen, MD Sharman Russell, MD Lisa Ryan, MD, PhD Sana Saif Ur Rehman, MD Virender Saini, MD Sindhura Saini, MD Pascale Salem, MD Maanasi Samant, MD Rebecca Same, MD Siresha Samudrala MD Gretchen Sander, MD Vetta L Sanders Thompson, PhD, MA Heidi Sandige, MD Kristen Sanfilippo, MD, MPHS Leena Sastry, MD Jack El Sawda, MD Kim E. Schamel, MD Gillian Schivone MD, MS Laura Schuettpelz, MD, PhD Jerod Sears, MD John M. See, MD Tana Settle, MD Anne Seyer, MD Janaki Shah, MD Snehal Shah, MD Preet Shaikh, MD Rachel Shakofsky, MD Julie Shapiro-Schere, DO Quratulanne Sheheryar, MD Karna Sherwood MD Anup Shetty, MD Priya Shetty, MD Adrien Shifren, MD Corey Shy, MD Manjaap Sidhu, MD Alex Sievert, MD Amanda Sileo, DO Matthew Silviera, MD Inderjit Singh, MD Toniya Singh, MD Kelsey Sisti, MD Carolyn Smith, MD David Sonderman, MD Wilbur Song, MD PhD Anshu Sood, MD Swati Sood, MD Jennifer Sprague, MD, PhD Mythili Srinivasan MD, PhD Holly L. Steiner MD Kara Sternhell-Blackwell, MD Benjamin Stivers, MD Eric A. Strand, MD Lulu Sun, MD, PhD Christian Sutter, MD Stuart Sweet, MD, PhD Aline Tanios, MD Heidi Tastet, MD, MPH Kristen Terril, MD Sydney Thayer, MD Mark Thoelke MD Amy E Thomas, MD Alex Thomas, MD Laura Thompson, MD Keniesha Thompson, MD, MS, FACP, FHM Garry S. Tobin, MD Michael D. Toboni, MD, MPH Anand Upadhyaya, MD Fumihiko Urano, MD, PhD Anjani Urban, MD Lauren Van Buren, MD John Vandover, MD Elizabeth Verna, DO Josie Vitale, MD Mimi Vo, MD Thanh-Mai Vo, MD Thanh Vo, MD Alyssa Wait, MD Colleen M. Wallace, MD Lawrence Wang, MD, PhD Saiama Waqar, MD David K. Warren, MD, MPH Madison Weg, MD Judith Weisenberg, MD Mattie M. White, MD Brandon White, MD Halana Whitehead, MD Melissa Whitson, DO Sarah Whittaker, MD Keith Wickenhauser, MD Kerry Will, MD Denise Willers, MD Dominique Williams, MD Kelley Williams, MD Susan Wiltrakis, MD Samuel Windham, MD, MS Chad Witt, MD Jonathan D. Wolfe, MD Natasha K. Wolfe, MD Latoya Woods, DNP, FNP - C Megan E. Wren, MD, FACP Hayley Wurzel, MD Susan Yang, MD Joanna Yang, MD MPH Christine C. Yokoyama MD, PhD Staci Young, MD Shannon Zalewski, MD Rong Mei Zhang, MD Diana Zhao, MD, PhD Daisy Zhou, MD Amy Zhou, MD Maria Zulfiqar, MD