HENRICO, Va. – A woman who formerly worked in the Henrico Doctor’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been arrested and charged with malicious wounding and child abuse.
Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, was named as the suspect and charged on Friday.
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In late November and early December 2024, three babies were discovered with “unexplainable fractures,” reports WRIC. The fractures were similar to injuries of four other babies at the hospital in the summer of 2023.
A spokesperson for Henrico Doctor’s Hospital confirmed that Strotman was a former employee but didn’t indicate what her role was in the NICU. She was a staff member there in 2023 and 2024, and graduated as a registered nurse in 2019.
Strotman’s arrest and charges come after the hospital conducted an internal investigation of the infants’ fractures. In a statement, the hospital said it is working with local law enforcement.
The Henrico County Police Division said in a statement that it’s reviewing dozens of videos from inside the NICU and is reexamining the 2023 and 2024 cases.
NICU Nurse Previously Put on Paid Administrative Leave
Back in 2023 after Henrico Doctor’s Hospital investigated the 2023 infant injuries, Child Protective Services (CPS) found that an employee of the hospital did engage in abuse, reports WTVR. The investigation determined Strotman was one of two staff persons “found to have had contact with all of the infants in the timeframe identified.” However, unlike the other employee, Strotman was new to the unit and “had more direct care responsibilities with the NICU infants.”
Strotman was then put on paid administrative leave, but CPS wasn’t able to identify which employee engaged in the abuse. It’s unclear when she was allowed to return to work.
The mother of one of the infants injured said her baby suffered 12 fractures while being cared for at the hospital’s NICU, reports WRIC. Another woman who is the mother of twins treated at the NICU said one of her children died, although she didn’t know if it was the result of the baby’s care at Henrico Doctor’s Hospital. The parents of a baby boy treated at the NICU discovered their son couldn’t move his leg because his tibia was broken.
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In response to the spate of infant injuries, the hospital announced its NICU is no longer admitting new patients. It has also taken steps to improve patient safety and security by installing live-streaming video and requiring caregivers to take safety training, reports SoapCentral.
Anyone with further information about these incidents is asked to contact Henrico Police Det. M. Lynch at [email protected]. You may also submit tips anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or by using P3tips.com.
