Chicago Lakeshore Hospital is under federal and state investigation over patient safety concerns and alleged sexual assaults, according to ProPublica Illinois.
Here are five things to know:
1. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigated 16 allegations of abuse and neglect at the psychiatric hospital, which includes claims of staff and patients raping or sexually abusing other patients.
2. Allegations of sexual assaults cropped up in September when the hospital was treating two young pediatric patients who are now in the care of the state's Department of Children and Family. The agency is still investigating the alleged assaults. An employee accused in one of the alleged assaults no longer works at the hospital.
3. Hospital officials did not respond to ProPublica Illinois' request for comment about individual cases. However, David Fletcher-Janzen, CEO of Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, indicated employees identified as the suspects of any allegations are either suspended or moved to a different building while the hospital and DCFS conduct an investigation.
4. The Illinois Department of Public Health has also conducted several inspections of Chicago Lakeshore Hospital on behalf of federal agencies since July and found the hospital failed to guarantee the safety of its suicidal patients and gain patient consent before administering potent medications.
5. Federal authorities said they will cut funding if the hospital does not address these issues by the end of November. Mr. Fletcher-Janzen said the hospital is working with the state and federal authorities to address the hospital's deficiencies in statement to ProPublica Illinois.
"Chicago Lakeshore Hospital takes every allegation of impropriety very seriously and files reports immediately. All allegations, regardless of probability, are reported to maintain a high level of caution and transparency," Mr. Fletcher-Janzen told the publication. "Our goal is to improve the lives of these young patients so they can grow to be healthy adults both physically and mentally."
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