26 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
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OUR COMMUNITY

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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

