Grand jury: CEO believed NICU fractures were spontaneous even after radiologist said they were abuse
A former nurse is now serving three years in prison for injuring babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Henrico Doctors' Hospital, but a special grand jury report raises serious concerns about the hospital's response — calling its actions indefensible, incomprehensible and reckless.
Erin Strotman was convicted in connection with broken bones found in NICU infants. The grand jury's findings, which CBS 6 has been investigating for a year and a half, reveal new details about what hospital leadership knew, when they knew it, and what they chose not to do.
When the Hackey family learned one of their twins had a broken leg while in the NICU at Henrico Doctors' Hospital in September 2023, Dominique Hackey texted his mother, who had worked as a NICU nurse.
His mother's reaction was immediate.
"She said, 'That is not right. I've worked in multiple NICUs and there has never ever been a fracture,'" Hackey said.
Hackey told CBS 6 in late 2024 that the hospital did not seem particularly concerned about the fracture. His mother contacted Child Protective Services.
"She said when she called CPS, they were like, 'Oh, you want to report the parents?' and my mom was like, 'No, I want to report the hospital,' and they couldn't believe what they were hearing at that time either," Hackey said.
According to the special grand jury report, CBS 6 was able to confirm for the first time that CPS screened out the grandmother's concern after calling Henrico Doctors' Hospital, speaking to one of the infant's physicians, and being told her concerns were unfounded.
By the day she called — Sept. 7, 2023 — the hospital was already aware of three other children with fractures dating back to early August. However, the hospital did not notify CPS about the four babies found with broken bones between Aug. 5 and Sept. 5, 2023, until Sept. 21 of that year.
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