What is the Sansum Clinic Santa Barbara video controversy? Viral TikTok sparks investigation amid mass outrage

The Sansum Clinic is going viral after a former employee posted six pictures on TikTok. The images, with the caption "Make sure to leave your healthcare workers sweet gifts like these," showed eight medical professionals from the Sansum Clinic posing next to tissue liners, which were stained with bodily fluids.

The workers made faces at the tissue liners, seemingly mocking the patients. After the pictures went viral, the account @angieuncut changed its username, locked its account, and deleted all posts.

However, netizens already took screenshots and made TikToks calling them out. Internet users tracked the Sansum Clinic, which is on 215 Pesetas Lane in Santa Barbara, and started leaving negative online reviews.

The X user @washghost1 reuploaded a TikTok on the social media platform, which called out the Sansum Clinic workers, and showed the pictures they uploaded on the internet.

Does professionalism not exist anymore pic.twitter.com/MIg91S8lR5

— Washingtons ghost (@washghost1) September 2, 2025

Netizens called out the Sansum Clinic workers in the viral video, saying that such behaviour in the medical field was "childish" and "unprofessional." One user (@tstorm05) stated that their medical licenses should be revoked.

"That's not funny. On one of those tissue liners, a woman had a cervical exam and may have found out her cervical biopsy was cancerous. So childish and wholly unprofessional," one netizen wrote.

"It's a shame that when people are at their lowest and humiliated that they will need to worry about garbage like this coming to the internet," another X user added.

"Every single one of these clowns should be fired immediately and have any licenses to practice in any medical field revoked. Never let these animals near a patient again," one user wrote.

Netizens continued to criticize the medical professionals in the viral TikTok video, saying that they should be fired. One user (@feckingm) wondered how nurses found time to make the video in the first place.

"This is so disgusting and degrading to their patients. If nothing is done within the practice it should be reported to the state and the AMA at the very least," one netizen wrote.

"Who has time to do this between patients? Nursing sure has changed since I got my license," one X user commented.

"These individuals are sorely mistaken if they believe their childish behavior is humorous. What despicable actions and attitudes. I hope they are identified and reprimanded by their employers," another user added.

Sutter Health, the healthcare system that owns Sansum Clinic, released a public statement addressing the viral TikTok post

Edhat reached out to a representative of Sutter Health on Tuesday (September 2, 2025), and they stated that the post was made by a former employee.

Calling it a "disrespectful" post, they shared that the other medical professionals present in it are currently being investigated.

The representative stated that they have strict policies to protect every patient's "privacy and dignity," and they were actively reviewing policies.

The same day, Sutter Health stated on its website that an investigation is ongoing, as they put patients' "trust and dignity" as their top priority.

"We share the concern raised by a recent social media post at one of our care sites and took immediate action once we became aware. We take this matter very seriously and are conducting a full review. Patient trust and dignity are always our top priority, and any behavior that violates those standards is unacceptable," the Sansum Clinic's parent company stated.

The people in the viral Sansum Clinic TikTok post have not been identified so far. The former employee who posted the TikTok goes by Angie. Any other details are yet unknown.

Stay tuned for more updates regarding the Sansum Clinic Santa Barbara video controversy.