26 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
N
OUR COMMUNITY
A
bout 50 individuals, including
some reportedly wearing white
lab coats with the Beaumont/
Corewell insignia, marched to “protest
for Gaza” on Sunday afternoon, Oct.
22, on a public sidewalk adjacent to
Corewell Health’s Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak. The protest was organized
by the National Arab American Medical
Association-Michigan.
The organization’s advance publicity
urged participants to wear their “white
coats” — typically worn by physi-
cians and other health care providers.
Included among the posters was “From
the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,
” a
slogan interpreted by some to be a call for the
destruction of Israel.
Hospital administrators learned about the
planned protest shortly before it took place.
According to Darryl Elmouchi, M.D., chief
operating officer of Corewell Health and inter-
im president, Corewell Health East, which
includes Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, “We
barely had time to notify law
enforcement. Our security was
there to monitor the situation,
make sure it wasn’t onsite and
ensure building security. Local
law enforcement was called.
“Many of the comments were
disturbing. We didn’t condone it,
”
he added. Some members of the Jewish com-
munity saw or heard about the demonstration
and were very troubled by it, even expressing
concern about whether Jewish patients would
be safe at the hospital, given the views of pro-
testers. Beaumont has a large Jewish patient
base as well as many Jewish staff physicians.
An initial internal response from Corewell’s
president and CEO Tina Freese Decker and
Dr. Elmouchi struck some members of the
Jewish community as insufficient: “Thank you
so much for reaching out and sharing your
heartfelt concerns. We completely agree that
our hospitals and care centers must always
remain safe and respectful environments for
all people to heal and seek the care they need.
We want to reassure you that our entire team
is committed to providing the very best care
to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity or
religious beliefs.
“Please know that as a health care organiza-
tion we do not allow unapproved gatherings
or protests on our property. This event was
organized by an outside group unrelated to
Corewell Health and took place on a public
sidewalk south of our hospital campus. As a
result, this event fell under the jurisdiction of
local officials and not our organization. Our
focus is to ensure we provide people the best
and safety health care. We will continue to
address these issues, including discouraging
the use of our logos and uniforms at unsanc-
tioned events, to ensure we are a safe and
welcoming place for all members of our com-
munity to receive care.
”
Dr. Elmouchi, who is Jewish, said the
situation has caused him personal angst,
commenting during a recent interview, “We
are here for everyone in the community. We
stand against any form of hate, antisemitism
or Islamophobia. We have an obligation to
take care of everyone, regardless of their back-
ground.
”
He added employees are discouraged from
wearing items with hospital logos if participat-
ing in off-site protests, and administration will
consider developing a policy that clearly pro-
hibits that. He said he is unaware of any recent
antisemitic, anti-Muslim or anti-Arabic
comments or incidents within the hospi-
tal.
However, a post by Dr. Majd Aburabia,
a Corewell surgeon who heads the Karen
Wilson Smithbauer Comprehensive
Center for Breast Care at Corewell
Dearborn, also aroused anger and dismay
from those in the Jewish community. She
posted online a song lyric, “Oh, what a
beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful
day!” after the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks.
According to Dr. Elmouchi, “We take
this very seriously. The incident is being
thoroughly investigated.
” However, no details
were provided because it is a “personnel
matter.
”
On Oct. 25, a statement was sent to
Corewell Health East employees; excerpts
follow:
“Dear Team,
I’d like to thank those of you who joined our
Corewell Health East Town Hall this week. For
those unable to attend, I closed the event with
a request — I simply asked everyone to do their
best to assume positive intent in the workplace.
The world is in a difficult place right now and
things don’t seem to be getting any better or eas-
ier. We were horrified by the attacks on Israel on
Oct. 7 by Hamas. I also know we are struggling
with the tragic loss of innocent lives in Gaza …
“As a health care organization, we are here to
take care of everyone in our community, regard-
less of their race, ethnicity, religion or personal
beliefs. All of our patients need to know they
are safe and will be cared for when they walk
through our doors. We are also a team. We
must respect each other and recognize many
are hurting but we all come to work to take care
of people. Within Corewell Health, my hope is
that we all recognize the goodness in each other
and assume positive intent amongst those with
whom we work … Divisive, hateful behavior
and rhetoric have no place at Corewell Health.
Our workplace must be respectful and inclusive.
We do not allow protests on our property, nor
do we condone any form of racism, hate speech
or antisemitism.
”
In reponse, Corewell Health East (Beaumont) leaders reject “hateful
behavior and rhetoric,” stress its commitment to serving all patients.
Pro-Gaza Protest Near Hospital
Dr. Darryl
Elmouchi
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
VIDEO TAKEN BY A PERSON DRIVING BY THE HOSPITAL.
“White Coat Protest for Gaza” participants on the public
sidewalk outside Corewell Health’s Royal Oak hospital.
COREWELL HEALTH EAST