Emergency Room Nurse Punched at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital
Suspect is facing felony charges of aggravated battery.
A young man is facing felony charges after punching an emergency room nurse who was treating him at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital on Sunday.
Hinsdale Police say they were called to the scene at 8 a.m. when Timothy S. Kim, 24, of 230 Sype Drive in Carol Stream, began causing a disturbance.
"[The suspect] was highly intoxicated and acting belligerently towards the emergency room staff," said Hinsdale Deputy Police Chief Mark Wodka. "At that time, there was no criminal activity that had occurred. We were called back again when the suspect became unexpectedly agitated with the nurse treating him, punching her in the stomach with his fist."
No injuries were reported to the police by the nurse, and the hospital said the nurse is back at work.
"Our nurses work hard to care for all the patients who come through the doors of Adventist Hinsdale Hospital," said Lisa Parro, spokesperson for the hospital. "It's unfortunate when incidents like this happen."
Wodka said the incident ordinarily would have been considered a misdemeanor, but Kim is facing a felony charge, because nurses are a protected class. Upon being discharged from the hospital, Kim was arrested, charged with one count of aggravated battery of a protected class and taken to DuPage County Jail.
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Christy Jo Shell
5:23 pm on Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Nurses are in the front line all the time in the emergency room, as staff nurses on the floors and in surgery (with some of the physicians who throw instruments). I think the hospital is worried about being politically correct when confronting the actions of the physicians who lack control of their temper. Two years ago, a physician known for his temper, his ugly personality and lack of bedside manner. He asked a secretary to hand him the telephone and to dial the # for him. She misunderstood what he was asking and before she could ask him to repeat it; he hit her with the telephone and broke the handpiece. She called the police; received medical care, sued him and won. The entire time, he still came in daily rounding. When she won her law suits, the health system finally took action and removed him from the system. We thought he had gotten away with it but he didn't. Now he can hit another inmate and see how they handle it!
gena costello
7:32 am on Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I am thrilled to hear that the patient is being held accountable! I wish that happened more often.