Health Facility CEO Steps Down After Patient in Coma Gives Birth
Written by SOURCE on January 10, 2019
The CEO of Hacienda HealthCare resigned Monday after police launched an investigation into the rape and subsequent pregnancy of a vegetative patient.
“Bill Timmons, longtime Chief Executive Officer of Hacienda HealthCare, has terminated his employment from the company effective immediately,” the facility wrote in a statement to HuffPost on Tuesday. “Timmons’ resignation was accepted unanimously by the Hacienda Board of Directors.”
The nursing facility has come under fire after a 29-year-old patient gave birth to a healthy boy last month, despite being in a vegetative state for the past 14 years. Arizona Family confirmed this week that the woman had been raped multiple times while in Hacienda Healthcare. An unnamed source told the outlet facility staff were not aware that the patient was pregnant until she went into labor in late December.
“From what I’ve been told she was moaning. And they didn’t know what was wrong with her,” the source told Arizona Family. “There was a nurse that was there, and from what I’ve heard she’s the one that delivered the baby.”
The patient’s identity has not been revealed, as she is a victim of sexual assault. What we do know is that the woman, who was hospitalized after a near-drowning incident, was a member of the local San Carlos Apache Tribe. Terry Rambler, the chairman of the tribe, confirmed this in a statement to NBC News.
“On behalf of the Tribe, I am deeply shocked and horrified at the treatment of one of our members,” Rambler write. “When you have a loved one committed to palliative care, when they are most vulnerable and dependent upon others, you trust their caretakers. Sadly, one of her caretakers was not to be trusted and took advantage of her.”
Hacienda HealthCare said they are cooperating with the Phoenix Police Department, which served the facility with a search warrant for DNA samples from all of its male staff members. The facility said they can’t legally require employees to comply, as it would be a violation of federal law.
