CHICAGO (CBS) — A former employee of Lurie Children’s Hospital has filed a lawsuit, claiming she was fired for reporting safety issues to government agencies.
Christina Christner worked as a pharmacy technician at the hospital.
She accused Lurie of unsanitary practices in drug preparation, including reusing single-use gloves and fluid bags, using expired medications, using rubbing alcohol to wipe surfaces instead of sterile alcohol.
Christner claimed she complained to management, but nothing was done – so she filed a report with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Emails from attorneys said the IDFPR informed Christner that her “complaints were found to be valid,” that she provided “very good evidence of a lack of compliance,” but it seemed no one wanted that.[ed] to take responsibility for sterile preparations.”
According to the lawsuit, Christner was fired a week after investigators visited the hospital.
In a statement, Lurie denied the allegations and said safety is a priority:
“We recently learned that a former employee has filed a lawsuit against Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago seeking monetary damages. Lurie Children’s consistently prioritizes safe, high-quality care for the patients and the communities we serve and fosters an ethical workplace for employees To the extent this lawsuit suggests otherwise, such allegations are false.”
