Friday, December 28, 2018

Hospital Failed to Probe 4 Abuse Cases


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A 590-bed Pennsylvania hospital failed to properly investigate four separate cases of suspected abuse, according to a report issued by the state Health Department.
The report on the Lancaster General Hospital, part of Penn Health, resulted in state surveyors declaring a state of immediate jeopardy, forcing hospital officials to come up with an immediate plan to eliminate the risks faced by patients.
The hospital "failed to ensure a comprehensive investigation of allegations of abuse. This failure placed patients who alleged the abuse and other patients that may have had contact with the staff member in question at risk," the report dated Nov. 14 states.
The inspectors also cited the hospital for failing to report the suspected abuse to police and other state agencies.
The hospital filed a plan of correction in which it promised to educate employees on abuse reporting requirements and to set up a dedicated phone line for reporting such allegations.
In one of the four incidents a patient reported awakening to discover a hospital employee "touching the patient's genitals while touching the employee's own genitals."
The hospital eventually concluded the report was unfounded and took no further action.
In a second incident a patient reported that an employee fondled "the genitals for five to 10 minutes while applying topical medication to a rash."
In the third incident a patient reported being grabbed by a nurse while waiting for an elevator. The patient, the report states, "was upset that a nurse put hands on the patient in a rough manner."
The fourth incident involved a patient who was struck by his wife, but the patient was able to free himself.
The surveyors faulted the hospital for failing to report the incidents to the proper authorities including the Adult Services Hotline. the Department of Human Services and local police.
The surveyors found that the employee who was involved in the first incident was allowed to return to work even though the allegation was not fully investigated.
John Lines, a hospital spokesman, said that the employee remains on administrative leave while the police investigation continues
The report also states that hospital records show no documentation that the there was any follow up with the patient making the allegation.
The report on Lancaster General was the second in recent months in which state surveyors faulted health administrators for failing to properly investigate allegations of sexual abuse. The other report was issued on the Lifecare Behavioral Hospital where two allegations of sexual abuse against the same employee were not fully investigated.
The employee had returned to work when he was arrested by police.
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