State officials are changing the screening process at William R. Sharpe Hospital in Weston after the recent murder indictment of an employee at the facility.
A contract nurse at the state-run hospital, Tamra Garvin, was indicted earlier this month on murder charges from an incident unrelated to her work at the facility. Garvin was charged in the death of her son Jan. 28 in Clay County, according to court records.
State lawmakers asked Secretary of Health Facilities Michael Caruso about the firing earlier this week during an interim legislative committee meeting in Wheeling.
“Sharpe is a complex hospital. It’s a psychiatric facility. We do have issues up there. We’re going to continue to look at options to make sure our quality of care is provided and done well,†he said. “Everybody goes through a background check. There were no background issues with this individual.â€
According to a news release at the time of the indictment, Department of Health and Human Resources leadership informed Garvin’s employer that her assignment at Sharpe Hospital would be terminated, effective Nov. 8.
According to the release, Garvin underwent a “comprehensive fingerprint-based federal and state background check†through West Virginia Clearance for Access Registry and Employment Screening (WV CARES).
“As a unit of DHHR’s Office of Inspector General, WV CARES diligently monitors criminal records and promptly notifies employers in the event of any subsequent changes in employees’ criminal record information. William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital’s onboarding requirements also include a thorough initial orientation, a preceptorship, and a demonstration of competencies for all contract staff,†the DHHR said in the release.
The WV CARES screening is mandated for all direct-access employees, independent contractors, and volunteers of providers and facilities.
“This thorough screening revealed no cause for concern. WV CARES diligently monitors criminal records and promptly notifies authorities in the event of any subsequent changes in criminal record information,†DHHR administrators wrote in the statement.
However, according to a statement issued earlier this week, to address problems with contract staffing, the DHHR will conduct an internal review and meet with all contract staff vendors to reiterate hospital policies and standards.
“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is dedicated to providing quality services at its health care facilities and will not tolerate patient abuse, neglect, or exploitation,†administrators wrote in the statement.
Additionally, Sharpe Hospital will no longer use phone interviews for contract nursing staff, instead opting for virtual or in-person interviews, as well as a work environment assessment, DHHR leaders said.
The incident involving Garvin is the latest in a line of employee arrests.
In September, employee Keefe Kiser was arrested on five counts of imposition of sexual acts on an incarcerated individual by an employee.
In 2021, a worker, Michael Coleman, was arrested for strangling a patient and four more employees were fired for allegedly participating in the abuse or allowing it to happen.
West Virginia is currently under federal investigation related to its treatment of disabled individuals in state care. The hospital has also been under investigation by Disability Rights of West Virginia regarding the oversight of patient care and potential abuse at the facility.
In 2017, the hospital lost its certification by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services due to deficiencies found in patient treatment plans. The certification was reinstated in 2019.
In October 2022, lawmakers raised concerns about the hospital’s compliance with state laws regarding patient treatment and documentation. The involvement of the Department of Health and Human Resources and the hospital’s leadership in addressing these issues has also been questioned.
The issues at Sharpe hospital were one of the factors in the Legislature’s decision this year to split the DHHR into three agencies.
Roger Adkins covers politics. He can be reached at 304-348-4814 or email radkins@hdmediallc.com. Follow @RadkinsWV on Twitter.
