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Employees of Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) in Florida have been subjected to "threatening, verbally abusive messages," including death threats, in recent weeks, according to a hospital spokesperson and the local police.

Two messages shared on the encrypted messaging app Telegram targeted two doctors at SMH, threatening violence over accusations of misconduct in their treatment of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement shared with MedPage Today, an SMH spokesperson said that a large majority of the messages and voicemails received by the hospital staff and physicians have come from people outside the community, and in many cases, outside the state.

"The misinformation and misleading messages and social posts are part of an organized political campaign that is hurtful not only to our physicians and staff, but also to our community," the spokesperson said. "Our first priority is addressing the unfounded attack on our staff and deceitful social media posts and reviews that threaten the reputation of a great hospital, great doctors, and the entire community we serve."

Head over to MedPage Today to read more about it.