HUNTINGTON – A former employee is suing Cabell Huntington Hospital after she claims she was harassed and retaliated against for reporting unsafe conditions in the operating room.
Kimberly Adkins was employed as a surgical technician in the operating room at Cabell and, after beginning her employment, she observed various conditions within the operating room that detrimentally affected the health and safety of Cabell Huntington Hospital patients, according to a complaint filed in Cabell Circuit Court.
Adkins claims the detrimental conditions including contaminated surgical instruments; missing and/or incorrect surgical and other instruments necessary to perform procedures; and surgical instruments that had not been properly sterilized.
These and other detrimental conditions did and/or could lead to patient safety issues, including infection, transference of blood borne diseases, delay in surgical procedures for trauma patients and patients remaining under anesthesia longer than necessary, thus increasing the risk of anesthetic complications, according to the suit.
Adkins claims she reported and brought to light the detrimental conditions to her superiors at Cabell and, upon asserting her good faith complaints and concerns, she was subjected to discrimination and retaliation in her employment.
In response, Adkins attempted to utilize established Cabell grievance procedures in an effort to escape the harassment and retaliation she was suffering, however, those complaints were unaddressed and/or inadequately addressed and the harassment and retaliation continued, according to the suit.
Adkins claims she resigned from her employment because of the harassment and retaliation.
The defendant violated the West Virginia Patient Safety Act and the West Virginia Human Rights Act, according to the suit.
Adkins is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Sean W. Cook of Meyer Ford Glasser & Radman.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge F. Jane Hustead.
Cabell Circuit Court case number: 15-C-670