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Atrium Health employees caught on camera working without masks

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Susan Klepper said she felt like she was in the “Twilight Zone” on Sunday when she noticed several medical staffers inside a SouthPark emergency department weren’t wearing masks.

Out of concern, Klepper said she asked a nurse why he wasn’t wearing one.

“He told me in a flippant attitude that the masks don’t do a thing,” she said. “I saw three more nurses with no masks on. Their masks were down around their necks.”

Keppler told Channel 9 she took out her cell phone and snapped pictures -- posting them on social media -- to sound the alarm.

“When you come to work. You have to put your personal opinion in your pocket and follow the rules. It is a matter of life or death,” she said.

Channel 9 asked Atrium if the staff is allowed to avoid wearing masks.

A spokesperson said, in part, “We expect staff, patients and visitors to be properly wearing a mask at all times. These photos have been shared with the leadership team at this specific facility and at the enterprise level, and they are addressing the situation immediately …”

Klepper said she does not want the employees to be fired but she wants some type of accountability because she worries some people may avoid seeking medical treatment at the hospital if they don’t feel safe.