State investigations at two Prospect-owned hospitals in Connecticut unearthed a pattern of alleged patient abuse and a failure by hospital staff to conduct timely investigations in accordance with hospital policy. The allegations stem from separate unannounced visits by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) in late 2023 to Waterbury Hospital and Manchester Memorial Hospital. Officials at DPH gathered internal communications between workers at Manchester Memorial Hospital, which allege a nurse engaged in “inappropriate interactions with patients.” The documents, which Connecticut Public obtained through a public records request, include allegations of a nurse “kissing and touching” a patient’s private area, while the patient was admitted to the behavioral health unit in April of 2023 for paranoia and anxiety. Colleagues also alleged the nurse took photos with that patient and sent them money, according to the DPH report. The allegations were documented in an unannounced inspection of the hospital by DPH officials that ended last October. After the allegations were reported to hospital leadership, the nurse continued to work for nearly three months between Jul. 16 and Oct. 11, before being placed on administrative leave following the state inspection. In a statement to Connecticut Public, Manchester Memorial said the nurse no longer worked at the hospital, the staff was counseled and reeducated on internal policies, and that the facility passed a subsequent state inspection. “Manchester Memorial Hospital takes any allegation of misconduct by an employee very seriously,” the statement said. “We are committed to providing safe, quality care to every patient.” DPH stated that the hospital failed to follow its abuse policy by removing the employee from patient care after allegations were made, and failed to conduct a comprehensive investigation in accordance with hospital policies. The director of the behavioral health unit attributed the delay to a cyber attack that crippled the hospital, stating that documentation and his notes were not available, according to DPH documents. Waterbury Hospital is pictured. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror State inspection at Waterbury Hospital also documents abuse allegations A separate unannounced inspection by DPH completed in December 2023 at Waterbury Hospital also documented allegations of patient abuse and a failure by the hospital to conduct a timely investigation. DPH documents allege a hospital worker refused to help patients and verbally abused them. The allegations also include rough handling. In one instance, a patient was admitted in July 2023 to the hospital for shortness of breath and chest tightness. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Documents allege the patient asked the hospital worker for assistance to raise the head of the bed. “The buttons are right there next to you,” the worker allegedly said. When the patient said they could not reach the buttons, hospital records note the worker allegedly said, “well that’s not my job” and used profanity, leaving the room without repositioning the patient. In another instance roughly one week later, a patient admitted to the hospital for a knee replacement alleged that the same hospital worker “was rough, grabbing at his/her arm.” The patient also said the worker was “rude,” used profanity and did not explain the work they were doing. DPH documents show that the patient reported the alleged abuse to a nurse, who “did not report the allegation to the Supervisor because she was not sure what to do.” The hospital worker continued to work with patients for several months after the allegations emerged on Jul. 23, 2023. The employee was placed on leave in November shortly after the DPH inspection. A nurse attributed the hospital’s delay in investigating the allegations of abuse to a busy work schedule after returning from a vacation, and to a cyberattack due to which access to email was not available. Based on DPH’s investigations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determined that conditions within Waterbury Hospital posed what’s deemed an “immediate jeopardy” to the health and safety of patients. In a statement, Waterbury Hospital said it put “immediate corrective actions in place” following the DPH investigation and that the employee no longer works at the hospital. “There was no disruption to Medicare participation, and we are currently in full compliance with all Medicare Conditions of Participation,” the hospital said. “Education for all staff on the definition of patient abuse was again reviewed, and related procedures were confirmed,” the hospital said. Corrective actions were implemented by the hospital, including developing an abuse, neglect, and harassment policy which contained the definitions of abuse and neglect. Services at Rockville General Hospital have been scaled back in recent years. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror Abuse allegations surface amid messy sale of 3 CT hospitals In 2016, Prospect Medical Holdings, owned by Leonard Green & Partners, a private equity firm, bought Manchester Memorial Hospital, Waterbury Hospital and Rockville General Hospital in Connecticut. Those hospitals are in a limbo after their sale agreement to Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) fell through this year. YNHH filed a lawsuit against Prospect for breach of contract by defaulting on rent and tax liabilities, allowing its facilities to deteriorate, mismanaging assets and refusing to negotiate in good faith. Yale said the $435 million deal, as it now stands, risks the sustainability of its own health system. Prospect responded with a counter lawsuit, stating Yale was in breach of the contract. Yale is seeking to add new allegations in its lawsuit against Prospect, including what it calls a failure to invest in appropriate antivirus protection that resulted in a debilitating cyberattack at Prospect-owned hospitals. It also said Prospect allegedly failed to remain in compliance with participation terms for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This story was first published Sept. 18, 2024 by Connecticut Public.