Henrico Doctors’ Hospital to reopen NICU to new patients after 7 babies injured, possibly abused
VENN
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Henrico Doctors' Hospital (HDH) stopped accepting admissions to its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the end of 2024 after several babies were found with fractures -- some believed to be the result of abuse. Now, just over five weeks later, the unit will resume accepting new patients.
On Dec. 26, 2024, the HDH announced that it was pausing new admissions to its NICU after seven babies were found with "unexplainable fractures." Three of these babies were injured in late 2024 and four in the summer of 2023.
Multiple of these injuries were deemed to be "buckle fractures," or the result of sudden, heavy force on a bone. The same report that described said injuries -- provided to 8News by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) -- found that the HDH delayed reporting suspicions of abuse in the case of the four babies hurt in 2023.
In the wake of these findings, one former NICU nurse -- 26-year-old Erin Strotman of Chesterfield County -- was charged with felony child neglect and malicious wounding in connection to one of the babies.
Strotman's criminal complaint alleges that there is surveillance video of her placing pressure and weight onto that baby's legs, as well as pushing that baby's legs backward towards his head. Her next court appearance is set for Feb. 11.
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the HDH announced that it will start accepting new patients in its NICU again on Wednesday, Feb. 5. It provided the following statement on this decision:
"Henrico Doctors’ Hospital will reopen its NICU for new admissions on Wednesday, Feb. 5. We came to this decision in collaboration with the Virginia Department Health and are grateful for our partnership to help ensure the safety of our NICU.
Our patients should expect nothing short of exceptional care, which is why existing safety measures will remain in place, including our video security systems. One system allows parents to view their babies via live stream, and one system allows for internal security and safety review.
This period has allowed us to further enhance our safe handling protocols and staff training in all aspects of the NICU. Additionally, we have refined other safety measures and reporting processes, which will be implemented going forward, including:
- Mandatory training for all healthcare providers who interact with minors, focused on identification and reporting of any signs that may indicate a child’s well-being is at risk.
- A new rapid debriefing process to help ensure timely reporting.
- Additional infection prevention measures and comprehensive training for all our NICU colleagues to help ensure a safe and healthy environment for our patients.
We are proud of our caregivers and the hospital’s 50-year history of providing excellent care to our community. Our caregivers have dedicated their professional lives to taking care of others, which should not be diminished by the actions of one individual who is no longer employed by our hospital.
We want to thank all of our colleagues, and especially our NICU caregivers, who continue to provide high-quality care to our most vulnerable patients throughout this process." Henrico Doctor's Hospital
8News reached out to HCA Healthcare for further details on what these "refined safety measures and reporting processes" are, but has not heard back as of the time of reporting.
Multiple of the improvements listed in this statement -- as well as the statement issued at the time of NICU admission pause -- were also said to have been implemented in the summer of 2023, following the first four injuries. As said above, three more babies were then injured in late 2024.
The VDH previously told 8News that, as of Jan. 9, the HDH's license to operate was on "conditional renewal," with one of those conditions being that it not admit new patients to its NICU.
When asked about what changed, a spokesperson for VDH provided the following statement:
"The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) can confirm that Henrico Doctors’ Hospital (HDH) will resume taking new admissions to its NICU beginning Wednesday, February 5th. VDH has worked with HDH to introduce improved safety measures to include installation of cameras, enhanced safe-handling training for staff, additional infection control measures, and placed emphasis on mandatory reporting and debriefing procedures going forward. VDH will continue to partner with HDH to ensure these most vulnerable patients in the NICU receive the best care possible." Maria Reppas, communications director for the Virginia Department of Health
8News asked for clarity on the "conditional renewal" of HDH's license to operate, including whether or not any conditions still remained following this reopening decision. The spokesperson has not responded as of the time of reporting.
This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.
