Taking "a stand against intolerance and extremism," Kenneth Frazier walked away from a White House business panel as President Donald Trump faced rising criticism over his response to violence in Charlottesville, VA.
In the wake of violent clashes between white supremacist groups and counter-protesters over the weekend, the CEO and chairman of drugmaker Merck on Monday quit a White House business advisory panel.
The rally dubbed "Unite the Right" was ignited by torch-bearing protesters claiming opposition to the city's plans to remove a statue of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. One person was killed and 19 injured when a car hit counter-protesters Saturday. Two state police officers patrolling the scene from the air were killed when their helicopter crashed.
Frazier announced his move on Twitter:
Trump's response was swift and also came in a tweet:
Reaction from other healthcare leaders was sparse.
Toby Cosgrove, MD, the CEO of Cleveland Clinic, also serves on President Donald Trump's "strategic and policy" panel. His office, reached by email Monday, provided this statement:
"We believe that diversity, inclusion, and cultural differences are a vital part of the success of this country. In healthcare alone, we embrace those attributes among our workforce, patients, and visitors which are critical to our mission of caring for patients within the United States and from around the world."
Cleveland Clinic is planning to hold an annual fundraiser at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The healthcare organization has been under fire from clinicians and other Ohio residents opposed to the choice of venue.
Last week the Clinic announced it would not relocate the event, despite having reviewed a public letter urging it to do so. The letter contains more than 1,100 signatures.
One other senior executive contacted by HealthLeaders for comment Monday afternoon responded to a request for reaction to the violence in Virginia. Michael Ugwueke, the president and CEO of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tennessee is not on the White House panel. He provided this statement via email:
"It's unfortunate and disappointing that we are still having these conversations in 2017. Our strength as a country lies in our diversity. It's the responsibility of leadership to set the tone for everyone else to follow and that's what we try to do at Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare."
Other members of President Trump's Strategic and Policy panel offered these remarks.