MORGANTOWN, W.VA. — A lawsuit has been filed by Disability Rights of West Virginia against state officials regarding continued misconduct by contract workers in state healthcare facilities that is threatening the safety of patients.
The most recent lawsuit was filed against Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health Facilities, Michael Caruso, and Angie Jacobs-Ferris, chief human resources officer, alleging they have allowed contract workers to harass and abuse fellow employees and patients by not acting on credible reports of wrongdoing.
“Patient abuse, patient neglect, I think incompetent leadership,” Disability Rights Legal Director Mike Folio said. “Retaliation, we’re seeing deception by leadership, we’re seeing concealment of information and concealment of evidence.”
Folio said last fiscal year $45 million was spent at the 200-bed acute care psychiatric William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital on contract workers, some of whom have been involved in serious incidents.
One is believed to have been indicted in the murder of her son and is still employed as a worker at the facility. A member of the leadership team there was allegedly involved in a Clarksburg gunfight in which he was wounded and permanently maimed. Another contract worker at the facility is a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who was indicted as part of a motorcycle gang-related killing in Marion County, and another worker has been implicated in a shooting in Buckhannon.
Most recently, a registered nurse was hired there after their medical license in Nebraska was revoked for engaging in unethical behavior. That worker was not only hired but promoted to manage a 50-bed unit. As the manager of the unit, he was implicated in two patient abuse incidents before leadership took action against him.
“They finally terminated him, but it took two times for him to abuse two patients and for me to provide to our state department of health facilities that I’m the one who uncovered the fact that he had a prior license revocation,” Folio said.
Folio said additional details have been filed in an amended complaint.
Folio said the investigation and arrest of two Hopemont Hospital contract workers by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Attorney General’s of Patrick Morrisey is encouraging/
“Because once he’s sworn in as governor, he’s going to be their CEO; he’s going to be their office and ultimately responsible for these health care facilities,” Folio said.
Folio said one previous lawsuit addresses the tactics used by the leadership of state health leaders that he believes intentionally increased the number of contract workers.
“They have knowingly underpaid our state workers, which has resulted in the need to hire contract workers, and that case is in litigation right now,” Folio said.
MetroNews has sought comment from the state Department of Health Facilities but has not heard back.