HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Henrico County hospital at the center of a scandal involving the alleged abuse of vulnerable babies failed to report suspicion of the abuse within a timely manner, according to state and federal health officials.
Via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, CBS 6 obtained a report detailing the findings of an unannounced visit to Henrico Doctors’ Hospital conducted by two Virginia Department of Health inspectors back in September 2023.
That survey, which was done on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, took place after the hospital reported to the VDH Office of Licensure and Certification that four premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit had suffered unexplained fractures between August 5 and September 5 of that year.
The inspectors found that hospital officials “failed to protect and promote each patient’s rights” by not reporting the suspected abuse within 24 hours of having reason to believe that the babies had been abused.
The report also accuses the hospital of “failing to ensure that the facility is able to identify all staff members who come into contact with each patient in the NICU.”
When asked about the delay in reporting the fractures to the Virginia Department of Social Services, a hospital staff member told an inspector that they had been conducting interviews and consulting with outside experts to try to determine what happened.
No specific cause of the broken bones was identified at the time of the VDH investigation, but the hospital was required to formulate a corrective action plan.
Per the report, that included two new security systems, including cameras being put in every NICU room that allow parents to view their children around the clock.
The hospital also implemented a new training program, and additional daily exams for NICU infants with neonatologists.
A note on the report states that “since the implementation of these measures, there have been no additional unexplained fractures occurring in the NICU.”
However, as CBS 6 has previously reported, three different premature infants suffered similar unexplained injuries the following year.
Erin Strotman, a former nurse in the Henrico Doctors’ NICU, has been charged with felony counts of malicious wounding and child abuse in connection with a fracture suffered by a baby in November 2024.
But CBS 6 has confirmed that Strotman was placed on paid administrative leave in 2023 after the hospital conducted an internal investigation and found that she had had contact with all the infants who had suffered fractures during that timeframe.
We have asked HCA, the company the runs Henrico Doctors’, when Strotman’s leave ended and when she returned to work but have not received a response.
We later asked for a comment about the VDH report and its findings. HCA shared the following statement:
When we first discovered the fractures in 2023, we immediately launched an internal investigation and notified the families. Fractures in premature babies are not unheard of in neonatal intensive care units, given the development and size of the babies. Once we determined that the fractures could have been caused by something other than the development and size of the babies, we reported the fractures to the appropriate authorities, including CPS, and fully assisted in the investigations they launched.
Strotman is currently incarcerated at the Henrico jail on East Parham Road. She is scheduled to return to court Monday for a bond hearing.
Last month Henrico Doctors’ announced that it was temporarily stopping admissions to the NICU. The state has also placed the hospital’s license to operate on a conditional renewal.
Below is VDH’s complete statement to CBS 6 about the 2023 and 2024 investigations:
The Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Licensure and Certification (OLC) conducted an investigation into unexplained fractures in babies in Henrico Doctors Hospital’s (HDH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in September 2023.
The investigation was initiated when HDH self-reported the fractures to VDH’s OLC. The OLC serves as the State Survey Agency for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
While no specific cause of these fractures was identified during that investigation, Henrico Doctors’ was required to develop and implement a corrective action plan.
The plan included installation of new security systems, additional daily examinations of NICU babies, unit-wide safety training, daily head to toe assessments performed by a neonatologist, and training for mandatory reporting of any suspected child abuse or neglect.
In December 2024, HDH reported additional fractures in the HDH NICU and VDH’s OLC immediately launched an investigation. VDH’s OLC has been working with the facility to determine the cause of the injuries, as well as to implement an enhanced safety plan. This safety plan included halting admissions of additional NICU babies beginning December 21, 2024. Additionally, as of January 1, 2025, VDH has placed the hospital’s license to operate on a conditional renewal whereby HDH will continue to halt admissions to its NICU, work with VDH to continue following established safety processes, and allow regular communication with and inspection by VDH licensing personnel.
VDH remains committed to ensuring the quality of care of these most vulnerable children. Their safety is our paramount concern.
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