By Morgan Haefner

Capital Regional Medical Center in Tallahassee, Fla., removed an emergency room physician who was selling parents mask opt-out letters for their school children.

On Aug. 22, Florida's Leon County implemented a stricter mask mandate that requires school children to have a medical exemption to forgo masks. Brian Warden, MD, told parents on an anti-mask website he would provide a signed medical opt-out letter to parents for $50.

Dr. Warden said he wasn't signing forms that affiliated with any hospital or medical group.

Capital Regional Medical's CEO Alan Keesee informed the hospital's board of trustees about Dr. Warden's removal at their regular meeting Aug. 24.

"We act with absolute integrity in all that we do, and it is our expectation that providers behave in a way that is consistent with those values," said CRMC spokeswoman Rachel Stiles on Aug. 24. "Immediately upon learning of this physician's actions, we began the process of removing him from providing services to our hospital patients."

After the vote, Dr. Warden said he couldn't provide the publication any comment.