Essentia Health in Duluth issued an apology to its staff after distributing free Chick-fil-A sandwiches at its St. Mary’s Medical Center.
According to a report by the Daily Wire, the hospital cited concerns about inclusivity and alignment with the hospital’s values of “respect and justice.”
The controversy began when free sandwiches were offered in the hospital’s atrium, prompting complaints from some employees who were offended by the hospital serving food from Chick-fil-A.
In response, Tammy “Tamm” Kritzer, senior vice president for regional operations at Essentia Health, sent an email addressing their concerns and thanking employees for their feedback.
“We have received feedback from some colleagues who were concerned or offended by this occurrence, and we value colleagues feeling comfortable expressing their reservations,” Kritzer wrote in an email obtained by the Daily Wire. “We would like to thank our colleagues who had the courage to speak up to widen our lens of inclusivity.”
Chick-fil-A has faced criticism from LGBTQ activists for its past donations to groups perceived as anti-LGBTQ, despite the company’s statements emphasizing diversity and inclusion.
Complaints over lunch, silence on reported child sex-change surgeries
While Essentia staff voiced complaints about the free lunch program, they have remained silent on some of their employer’s other reported controversial actions.
The hospital offers cross-sex hormones and additional services to minors.
According to the Stop The Harm database, Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital has reportedly performed at least five sex-change operations on minors.
Email stresses respect and inclusivity
The hospital also clarified that the free sandwiches were “not intended to endorse a business or business practices.”
“We respect all we are honored to serve and employ, and situations such as these are an important reminder to consider all viewpoints. As we strive to be thoughtful and inclusive as an organization, we will have learnings along the way,” the email to Essentia Health employees reads.
Essentia Health did not respond to Alpha News’ request for comment regarding the Chick-fil-A controversy at the time of publishing.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
