
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, December 6, 1994                   TAG: 9412060083
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOSPITAL AIDE ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT ON PATIENT

An aide at Roanoke Memorial Hospital was charged Monday with sexually abusing a patient while she was under sedation following surgery last month.

Hubert Wayne Thompson, whose age and address were not available Monday, was named in an indictment returned by a grand jury in Roanoke Circuit Court.

The misdemeanor indictment alleges that Thompson took advantage of the woman's "physical helplessness" and fondled her while she was in a hospital room shortly after undergoing surgery Oct. 7.

A hospital spokeswoman said Thompson was suspended from his position as a patient care aide - a job he has held since 1987 - as soon as the matter was brought to the hospital's attention.

Shirley Holland of Carilion Health System said the case appears to be an isolated incident, and the public ``should not be concerned about it occurring on a regular basis."

"It's very, very unusual to receive any kind of complaint like this," Holland said. "This is the only incident that we are aware of, but we are going back to thoroughly examine [Thompson's] records."

As a patient care aide, Thompson was responsible for assisting nurses in basic duties, such as taking patients to and from rooms and helping them out of their beds.

"It is very common for a person of this job description to be in and out of patients' rooms," Holland said.

If convicted of sexual assault, Thompson would face up to 12 months in jail, according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Teaster. A bench warrant for Thompson's arrest was issued after the grand jury met Monday, Teaster said, but it was not known whether Thompson had been arrested as of late Monday.

An investigation began after the woman, who was not completely unconscious at the time of the attack but was unable to resist, recalled what happened and later notified authorities.

"The patient did not make a complaint while she was at the hospital, according to our records," Holland said. "As soon as it was brought to our attention, [Thompson] was placed on a leave of absence."

"We are taking the situation very seriously," she added, "because it's our business to take care of people."

by CNB