Ex-Cardiac Chief Alleges Wrongful Firing Under Doylestown Health's Vaccine Mandate

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Joseph Auteri, the former Medical Director and Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at Doylestown Hospital, has launched a fundraiser online saying he was wrongfully fired under the hospital's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

According to Dr. Auteri, who previously had a 14-year career with the hospital, he applied for both medical and religious exemptions to the mandate and was denied.

"I declined the vaccine, and was promptly terminated, despite all that we’ve accomplished together," he wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Doylestown Health said Dr. Auteri is misrepresenting the circumstances that led to his employment ending.

"We are aware of the GoFundMe campaign launched by Dr. Auteri, one of Doylestown Hospital’s most highly-compensated employed physician[s] before his separation from employment, seeking contributions from members of the public to fund baseless legal action against Doylestown Hospital," a representative told Patch. "At all times, Doylestown Hospital acted lawfully with respect to Dr. Auteri. Dr. Auteri’s GoFundMe campaign misrepresents the circumstances of his separation from employment."

Auteri's GoFundMe, titled "Help Joe Auteri fight this injustice," had raised $29,211 of a $150,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon. In the fundraiser, he said he intends to litigate and had not set aside a contingency fund for these expenses.

"I am looking to fund legal counsel to help me get my job back," he wrote.

Dr. Auteri said in his fundraiser that having been sick with COVID-19 in May and developed antibody and T-cell immunity was grounds for his medical exemption.

However, public health experts maintain that vaccination is more effective and enduring than natural immunity. According to Dr. Auteri, other area hospitals recognized natural immunity as grounds for an exemption, but Doylestown Health did not.

A representative for the hospital did not comment on how Doylestown Health judged requests for exemptions, nor on whether Dr. Auteri's employment was terminated due to non-compliance with the mandate.

"[A]s his stated intent is to initiate legal action against Doylestown Hospital, Doylestown Hospital is not going to comment further on the matter at this time, other than to reiterate that our policies are based on protecting the safety of our patients, staff, volunteers and community members, and are implemented fairly, consistently and in accordance with applicable law," the representative for Doylestown Health said in a statement.

Dr. Auteri said he grew up in the Doylestown area, attending Central Bucks East High School, and had worked extensively to grow the hospital's cardiovascular department during his tenure.

"I never expected to be in a legal battle with the Hospital that I have poured my heart and soul into," he wrote in his fundraiser.

Some donors cited appreciation for Dr. Auteri's care in the past. Meri and Robert McIlvaine gave the campaign's largest donation of $5,000, calling him "an outstanding heart surgeon."

But several felt less favorably about the move, apparently donating to Dr. Auteri's campaign solely to be able to comment on the fundraiser.

"Grandstanding, free advertising and cheap points," Judy Bramich wrote. "Get your shot. You’re a fantastic surgeon, but a terrible teammate and worse role model."

Another commenter, not using their full name, wrote: "My $5 is a bet that this is the first vaccine where Dr. Auteri has taken a religious stand."

Doylestown Hospital had previously announced 100 percent vaccine mandate compliance in November, though it did not specify whether anyone's employment had been terminated.

"We implemented this requirement after extensive research and careful consideration and were fully confident that the 100 percent vaccination requirement would be the most effective way to ensure patient, staff, volunteer and community member safety," said Scott S. Levy MD, Doylestown Health's vice president and chief medical officer, at the time. "This requirement is an extension of our organization's belief that following the science is the most effective way to serve our community."

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