WellStar lawsuit resurfaces
by Talia Mollett, tmollett@mdjonline.com
August 14, 2009 01:00 AM | 4180 views | 2 2 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend | print
MARIETTA - A civil lawsuit against WellStar Health System Inc., WellStar Kennestone Hospital and three of its former employees - alleging sexual assault -was re-filed in Cobb Superior Court on Wednesday. The original lawsuit was withdrawn in May because of scheduling conflicts, said plaintiffs' Atlanta attorney Glenn Loewenthal.

Seven plaintiffs are claiming they were sexually assaulted by former respiratory therapist Eugene Ellis and orderly Rafael Telles while either patients or visitors at the hospital.

WellStar has not been served with the lawsuit and declined comment, according to officials from the legal department.

Police have charged Ellis with sexual assault and battery involving five victims, Loewenthal said.

Telles is charged with four counts of sexual assault, according to his warrant.

Ellis is scheduled to appear in Cobb Superior Court Judge Lark Ingram's courtroom Monday at 9 a.m. A date has not been set for Telles' trial, said Kathy Watkins, spokeswoman for the Cobb District Attorney's Office.

A third employee, Eric Robinson, is also listed in the lawsuit. Cobb Police did not arrest or charge Robinson with any crimes, Loewenthal said.

The lawsuit names the hospital as a defendant, claiming it was negligent in the hiring and retention of employees.

"We feel stronger than ever that all of the victims of sexual assault by employees of Kennestone Hospital will be vindicated at the end of this case, and that we will prove that WellStar has an institutional problem with hiring, retaining and supervising its employees as well as insufficient methods to protect their patients," Loewenthal said.

In January, a second civil lawsuit was filed against WellStar Kennestone Hospital, its CEO Gregory Simone and Telles by a woman who also said she was sexually assaulted by Telles after he transported her to a postoperative recovery room.

That suit was dropped.

In May, WellStar officials commented on its hiring practices.

"WellStar conducts extensive employment and criminal background investigations on all prospective employees. In the present cases, we followed our process," said Bonnie Wilson, WellStar executive vice president and general counsel.

Comments
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MKT
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September 06, 2010
I have been employeed by Wellstar since 2000. While I believe they strive to employee top of the line employees there lack of committment to their employees causes high turn over ratios which does cause the health system to contract agency nurses to fill in when they are understaffed. Often these agency nurses are not aware of the hospitals policies and procedures which fosters an environment prone to cause confusion in their ability to perform patient care as well as not being able to communicate with visitors and patients concerning the health establishment. There lacks a unity between departments and most employees know that if some thing fails they best have covered their behinds because supervisors and management will place the blame on their weakest links. Wellstar says their employees are part of the Wellstar family but that is not true. We employees are a warm body to fill the position. We are a number just the same as the patients that utilize this health system. With that said I must work to pay my mortgage thus I continue my employment with them. As to their hiring practices yes they do perform background checks but often higher individuals who lack common sense. If they have the licenses and certifications and have a clean background check and negative drug test then they will be highered. It doesnt really matter if they lack the commen sense to perform even the simpliest of tasks.
TKB
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September 16, 2009
I find it interesting that Wellstar stated that they conduct extensive background investigations, because my mother was there for 2 weeks and we had many, many, many problems with thier employees- they actually LOST her for over an hour somewhere between the recovery room and ICU. For all I know, she was being molested by one of these perverts they hired. When I called the head nurse because the nurse in ICU could not be found, did not know how to work the breathing equipment my mother was on etc. etc. I was told that they were short staffed and had to hire "agency nurses" and they didn't know anything about them; so my mom was in ICU with nurses who were rude, MIA and did not know how to operate critical equipment to keep my mother alive and Wellstar's excuse was they didn't know these nurses.
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