CLEVELAND – A string of crimes have occurred at hospitals in northeast Ohio, ranging from theft to rape.
An investigator for the NBC affiliate WKYC, Tom Meyer, acquired police reports involving 16 hospitals around the Cleveland area.
A patient at Parma Hospital said that while she had been hospitalized for a month with a severe sinus infection, someone stole her honeymoon necklace and purse. Another man complained that an employee of the hospital stole an expensive anniversary ring off of his wife’s right finger while she was a patient at the hospital suffering from multiple sclerosis. She later died of pneumonia at the hospital.
The man said when he told hospital security and the administration about the incident, he was told to file a claim under his homeowners’ policy and brushed it off.
A nurses’ aid at University Hospitals, Herman Brown, was charged with sexually assaulting three female patients and goes to trial in March. The hospital, however, is coming under fire from critics for hiring Brown, who had a felony record.
Some say the problem is hospitals rely on outside agencies to perform background checks that are not thorough. However, some hospitals said they offer education to employees, patients and visitors about security measures and theft prevention. They maintain that security procedures are reviewed continually and that they are committed to providing a secure and safe atmosphere for patients and staff.
It is recommended for patients to leave their valuables at home during their stay at the hospital. In case of an emergency, patients should ask their loved ones to secure their personal assets.
