Cherry workers on leave after patient incident
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on February 26, 2009 1:46 PM
Four Cherry Hospital employees have been placed on investigatory leave following a Jan. 27 incident of patient neglect.
State Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Van Sciver had no other information this morning concerning the incident, but confirmed that a psychiatrist, a physician assistant and two health care technicians at the mental facility are on paid leave while it is investigated.
In addition, he said three contract nurses were "let go" due to their potential involvement.
Carl Fitch, interim director for the embattled hospital, did not return calls for comment this morning.
The news is a blow to the facility as it works to regain the federal certification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid that it lost in September following the April death of a patient who was left for 22 hours without food, water or medical attention.
That incident resulted in the firing of three employees and disciplining of 10 others.