Police: ‘Unexplained’ Injuries to Newborns in Meriter Hospital NICU
A nurse has been removed from the hospital pending an investigation but has not been charged and has not had his license suspended.
The Madison Police Department's special victims unit has launched its own investigation.
A neonatal intensive care nurse is under investigation after unexplained injuries were found on several infants in a Madison, Wis., hospital.
Officials at Meriter Hospital filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) regarding allegations that a nurse may have intentionally injured or hurt babies in the hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit, reports WKOW.
On February 16, the Office of Caregiver Quality received a report containing allegations of caregiver misconduct by a credentialed health care provider. The complaint was also forwarded to DSPS.
On Tuesday, the Madison Police Department announced its special victims unit began its own investigation into the “unexplained injuries” of “several” infants on February 9.
Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain says the investigation may “be one of some length” due to the high number of people detectives have to interview.
The nurse has since been removed from the hospital during the ongoing investigation and has no previous complaints against him, according to Meriter spokesperson Leah Huibregtse. His name has not been released because he has not been charged with a crime and his license has not been suspended.
Huibregtse declined to specify how many infants were injured but said the “several” figure provided by Madison police was accurate. She declined to specify what the injuries were and declined to say when the injuries occurred, citing patient privacy issues, according to The Wisconsin State Journal.
Huibregtse also says the hospital has enlisted the support of a child abuse specialist as it conducts its own internal review.
The hospital has updated families of the injured newborns and has implemented additional monitoring and security changes, including more staff in the NICU.
“We take this incredibly seriously. We know this is important to the families,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure the babies are safe.”
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About the Author
Amy Rock, Executive Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
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My heart hurts for these babies and their families. Thank you for reporting!