Today, in the era of corporatized healthcare, most physician employment contracts allow “termination without cause.” Basically, the clause ensures hospitals can fire any physician without providing a specific reason for doing so. The best-known example is Dr. Ming Lin, an emergency medicine physician who suggested patients and physicians should wear masks in the hospital during March 2020. He had been working at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, Washington, for 17 years before being fired for voicing his safety concerns. Peace Health denied any wrongdoing, stating Dr. Lin was terminated for “creating a toxic work environment.”

While the U.S. Labor Departments holds that it is illegal to retaliate against employees reporting unsafe working conditions, dozens of physician

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