Top hospital exec fired after saying Trump supporters with COVID-19 should give up ventilators and die

A top medical executive at a Buffalo hospital was fired this weekend after demanding that supporters of President Donald Trump renounce ventilators if they become critically ill with coronavirus.

In a Facebook exchange, Laura Krolczyk, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center's now former vice president for external affairs, wrote, "Trump supporters need to pledge to give up their ventilators for someone else ... and not go to the hospital."

Krolczyk also said Trump supporters should "barricade themselves" inside churches to ride out the coronavirus.

"Also don't cash your stimulus check. It's all a hoax. Chew some ibuprofen and be on with your day," Krolczyk wrote of Trump supporters.

Krolczyk was initially placed on administrative leave, but was later terminated over the comments, according to the Buffalo News.

Roswell Park released the following statement announcing Krolczyk's termination, WGRZ-TV reported:

This employee was terminated today [Saturday] after our Human Resources team concluded its investigation. We followed standard procedure, which required that we gather and verify relevant information before taking any disciplinary action.

Dr. Johnson and her team responded with swift and appropriate action. We have always been and continue to be a center serving everyone who needs us. That is core to our mission, our culture and the experience our patients and families can expect every day.

This behavior is not tolerated at Roswell Park. If any team members act in a way that does not accord with that commitment, we will take swift and appropriate action, just as we did in this instance.

Krolczyk earned $226,580 in compensation in 2019, the Buffalo News reported.

Krolczyk previously worked for Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).