HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico Doctors' Hospital CEO Ryan Jensen declined to answer questions about multiple incidents in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when approached at a recent public event.
Since January, the hospital has faced scrutiny after several babies suffered broken bones in 2023 and 2024, and a MRSA outbreak infected 94 babies over three years.
The Virginia Department of Health found the hospital failed to protect patients in its NICU from abuse and neglect. The state also determined the hospital failed to consistently implement methods to prevent and control the transmission of infections.
WATCH: NICU nurse charged with crimes tried to watch their baby while on leave: 'We dodged a monster'
Police charged former NICU nurse Erin Strotman earlier this year with allegedly hurting multiple babies in the NICU in 2023 and 2024.
Families affected by these incidents have raised numerous questions about the hospital's handling of the situation. Jake Salmons expressed concerns about the lack of transparency.
"I think there are a lot of unanswered questions that Henrico Doctors' Hospital still needs to answer for the public and for families like ours, and for families of babies who were impacted when their child was in the NICU," Salmons said.
WATCH: Doctor sounded alarm about babies with fractures. Why wasn't CPS called right away?
Among the unanswered questions: Why didn't the hospital contact Child Protective Services immediately after finding infants with unexplained fractures in 2023? Why did the hospital allow Strotman to return to work after placing her on paid administrative leave for a year following an internal investigation into fractures suffered by four infants? Why wasn't there more oversight of Strotman's work when she returned, including reviewing security camera footage from cameras installed in every NICU room after the 2023 incidents?
Matt Whitfield, another concerned parent, questioned the hospital's decisions.
"It is shocking to me that the hospital didn't do more, that they let her come back, that they let this happen again. I don't know how this happens twice," Whitfield said.
WATCH: Mom asks why more wasn't done to stop 3-year NICU outbreak: 'It makes me mad'
The MRSA outbreak that persisted for three years has also raised concerns. Shawnphyl Chambers, who was affected by the outbreak, expressed frustration about the situation.
"It makes me very mad because there is no way two years later that this should still be going on," Chambers said. When asked if it was acceptable for the hospital to let the outbreak continue for three years, Chambers responded, "No, it's not OK in my mind."
Despite numerous email requests for an interview with CEO Ryan Jensen, hospital representatives have either declined to answer or ignored the requests.
When approached at a recent groundbreaking event for a new HDH emergency room in Scott's Addition, Jensen deflected questions about the NICU incidents.
"I'll leave that to our PR team. From our NICU standpoint, I mean, we are just happy that we are moving forward, we're good with the state, and we are open," Jensen said.
WATCH: 'They let this happen again': State finds Henrico NICU 'failed to protect patients from abuse'
The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed that Henrico Doctors' Hospital is now in full compliance with all state and federal rules. The hospital had been operating under a consent agreement with the state, which allowed for increased surveillance over the NICU. On Sept. 12, the hospital applied to have its consent agreement removed, and the state approved that request.
Dominique Hackey, another individual affected by the incidents, summed up the frustration felt by many: "This is an institution that is supposed to protect the most innocent human beings, and they didn't, and for the life of me I can't understand why."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
Watch Melissa Hipolit's reporting on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com. Have something for Melissa to investigate? Email her.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.