Latest news with #StephenScantlebury
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A patient broke nearly every bone in a Palms West nurse's face. Nothing changed.
Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing, not dangerous work environments for staff and patients alike. Yet, at Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee Groves, staff have been forced to reckon with the reality that their safety could be jeopardized at any moment. My client, a 67-year-old registered nurse with decades of experience, was brutally attacked by Baker Act patient Stephen Scantlebury in an incident that could have been prevented. The assault left her with life-altering injuries, but the hospital's response has been silence. There have been no changes in security made yet, no firm commitments to increased staffing, and no efforts to provide training on de-escalation methods — it's simply business as usual. The administration's priorities are clear. Palms West recently announced a $90 million expansion project, touting new surgical capabilities and infrastructure improvements. However, conspicuously absent from that investment is any mention of increased security measures or staffing levels to protect employees and patients from known threats. Meanwhile, attacks on healthcare workers continue, and the hospital's own culture discourages those most likely to be impacted from speaking out. The day before the incident, Scantlebury's erratic behavior at a Dunkin' Donuts resulted in the police being called to the scene. Despite his family's claims that Scantlebury had been experiencing hallucinations, the police declined to intervene, concluding that he did not pose an immediate threat to himself or others. This determination appeared to rely solely on his responses to their questioning. Later, when he arrived at Palms West complaining of chest pain, his family begged for him to be committed under the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to be involuntarily held for psychiatric examination and possible detention if they are deemed to pose a danger to themselves or others. The hospital refused. However, after exhibiting odd erratic behavior in the hospital and speaking with the family in more detail, Scantlebury eventually was Baker Acted. Due to the hospital's system for assigning patients to available beds, he was placed in a room on the third floor, where my client, Leelamma Lal, was assigned to care for him under standard hospital protocol. Though Baker Act patients are supposed to have sitters monitoring them at all times, these sitters lack the training or physical ability to intervene in an emergency. No additional security measures were provided. The consequences were devastating. Without warning, Scantlebury attacked my client with such force that nearly every bone in her face was broken. She now faces permanent vision loss and immeasurable emotional trauma. Editorial: A 67-year-old nurse was beaten at Palms West Hospital. Improve its security. Disturbingly, this is not an isolated incident. Only weeks later, another Baker Act patient at Palms West had to be physically restrained by six staff members. Despite this obvious pattern, the hospital continues to ignore and downplay the risks. Palms West serves approximately 65,000 patients each year. It is part of HCA Healthcare, a corporation that reported $18.29 billion in profits last year. Despite these numbers, the hospital remains critically understaffed. Her name is Leelamma Lal: Attorneys identify Palms West nurse beaten by patient last week Unlike nursing homes, which are required to meet specific nurse-to-patient ratios under Florida law, hospitals follow less stringent federal guidelines. Florida mandates that nursing homes provide at least 2.5 hours of care per resident from certified nursing assistants and maintain a minimum nurse-to-resident ratio. In contrast, hospitals — where patients often need much more intensive care — have no mandated staffing ratios or requirements to develop a staffing plan for adequate care. As a result, hospitals often prioritize cost efficiency over patient and staff safety. When nurses at Palms West raise concerns about staffing shortages, particularly regarding Baker Act and Level 2 patients, they are either ignored or face retaliatory measures. Some are demoted or placed on "do-not-hire" lists. Many employees at the hospital fear speaking up, knowing it can put their careers at risk. This culture of silence allows dangerous conditions to persist. The $90 million expansion of Palms West is being framed as a win for the community. But what good is a state-of-the-art facility if the people inside it aren't safe? Where in this budget is the funding for armed security personnel with adequate training to handle violent incidents? Where is the investment in mental health professionals who can intervene before situations escalate? Palms West has an obvious agenda: build, expand, and increase revenue. But what about protecting the nurses, doctors, and staff who make patient care possible? The hospital's actions are failing its patients, staff, and the entire Palm Beach County community. If nothing changes, other tragedies are all but certain to occur. The administration at Palms West must take responsibility. Increased security, proper staffing, and better training for handling psychiatric emergencies should not be optional – they are essential. How many more attacks will it take before the safety of healthcare workers is valued as much as the hospital's bottom line? This op-ed was written by Karen Terry. Terry is a shareholder at the Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley law firm in West Palm Beach. She is the legal representation for Leelamma Lal and her family. She wrote this for The Palm Beach Post. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is Palms West $90M expansion putting profits before safety? | Opinion
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Palms West patient who beat nurse to get 'independent' review of mental health, lawyers say
ROYAL PALM BEACH — A law firm representing the HCA Florida Palms West Hospital patient accused of attacking a nurse this week issued a statement Friday calling the incident "an unimaginable time for the victim and her family" and said an "independent" doctor will evaluate the Wellington man's mental health. The statement, issued by the Rossen Law Firm, called Stephen Scantlebury "a hardworking, loving husband, father and son" who is dealing with a form of mental illness it did not disclose. It said he went to the hospital seeking help after "displaying unusual behavior in the days leading up to this event" and asked anyone who believes they saw him experiencing a mental-health episode to contact them. From the courts: Palm Beach yacht captain accused of rape pleads to lesser charge, avoids prison Scantlebury is facing a charge of attempted second-degree murder in the beating, which broke "essentially every bone" in the nurse's face and likely will leave her blind, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators added a hate-crime enhancement to Scantlebury's charges, saying he had "made utterances" about the victim's gender, race or religion before Tuesday's attack. They did not specify which one. The law firm said it was working with prosecutors and law enforcement "to investigate what happened and what led to it." It said it would make no further comment on the case. "Right now, the public has only heard one side of the story -- the side presented by law enforcement," the statement said. "However, one-sided narratives can be misleading, especially when mental illness is involved. Our role is to ensure that the complete story comes to light." Medics flew the nurse, whom neither the hospital nor the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has identified, to St. Mary's Medical Center on a Trauma Hawk helicopter after the attack. She remained in critical condition this week. A spokesperson for HCA Florida Palms West, which serves Palm Beach County's western communities from its campus on Southern Boulevard near Royal Palm Beach, said the attack on the nurse "happened within a matter of seconds" and was witnessed by multiple people who came to assist. "Our primary concern is with our beloved colleague and we are praying for her recovery," wrote the hospital in a prepared statement. "We are also providing support to our hospital staff who are understandably shaken by this incident. We are grateful to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office who acted to detain the suspect and we are assisting law enforcement in their investigation." The attack happened at about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday. According to the police report, the nurse was taking care of Scantlebury in his room on the third floor when he 'inexplicably' jumped on top of his bed and then onto the nurse to attack her, prompting another nurse to look for help. Witnesses found the nurse lying on the floor and Scantlebury standing over her, hitting her repeatedly in the face with his fists. After the attack, Scantlebury fled the hospital dressed only in shorts and ran along Southern with deputies and nurses chasing behind him prior to his arrest. Witnesses told deputies he had been acting paranoid in the two days before the attack. He has no record of prior felony arrests in Palm Beach County, according to online court records. Sign up for our Post on Wellington weekly newsletter, delivered every Thursday! Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@ and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Law firm: Palms West patient who beat nurse to get 'independent' exam
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A Patient Allegedly Broke Nearly Every Bone In A Nurse's Face. Cops Say It Could Be A Hate Crime.
A Florida man accused of brutally assaulting a nurse, reportedly breaking nearly every bone in her face, is now facing a hate crime enhancement to his felony charge, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday. Stephen Scantlebury, 33, was initially charged earlier this week with the attempted second-degree murder of an unnamed Palms West Hospital nurse assigned to his care, according to a criminal complaint obtained by HuffPost. The nurse, 67, survived the assault, but authorities say she is likely to lose the use of both of her eyes. One witness, whose relationship to Scantlebury is unknown, told police he had been acting paranoid in the days leading up to the assault, 'blaming people in his life for events they had nothing to do with,' according to the complaint. Scantlebury was reportedly admitted into the hospital under Florida's Baker Act, which allows families to treat a loved one during an emergency mental health crisis by calling authorities to involuntarily detain them at a hospital for evaluation. Palms West Hospital is, however, not a Baker Act receiving facility, which led the victim's daughter to question why the man was placed there. The hospital's parent company, HCA Florida, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost. However, the company told ABC affiliate WPBF, 'If a patient comes to the hospital for a medical condition and starts to exhibit signs or certain behaviors, a mental health assessment is performed to determine if the patient qualifies for a Baker Act designation.' Multiple witnesses told police that on Tuesday, Scantlebury jumped onto the nurse and began attacking her when she entered the room, according to the complaint. One of the witnesses ran out of the room to call hospital security, but when help arrived, Scantlebury was allegedly still on top of his victim, hitting her with his fist. Detectives told NBC affiliate WPTV that Scantlebury made comments about the victim's ethnicity during the attack, which is what led to the hate crime enhancement. Scantlebury stopped his assault and fled after a witness yelled at him, police said in the complaint. He managed to escape the hospital and ran into traffic, where he was taken into custody by the sheriff's department. A public defender assigned to Scantlebury's defense did not immediately respond when reached by HuffPost. On Thursday, the court ordered him to have a psychiatric evaluation. Due to the gravity of the nurse's injuries, she was airlifted to another hospital in critical condition, according to the complaint. Medical staff said 'essentially every bone' in her face was broken and she would likely lose the use of both her eyes. The victim's daughter, who is a doctor herself and asked to be identified only as Cindy, told WPBF she was surprised by the extent of her mother's injuries, saying security 'could have intervened sooner.' 'She has multiple fractures of the orbit, subarachnoid and subdural bleeding in the brain, a clavicle fracture, swollen eyes, bruises on both eyes and her face,' she told the outlet of her mother's condition. 'It looks like more than just one blow — it was several blows. It was pretty intense. ' The daughter questioned how Scantlebury was able to escape the facility. 'This guy was on the third floor. He escaped the hospital. He was on the road! Like, where was security in all of this?' she asked. Her mother is scheduled for several surgeries. I Was Willing To Do Anything To Save My Baby. A Nurse Made A Suggestion That Almost Cost Me My Life. British Killer Nurse Lucy Letby Loses Appeal Bid For Attempted Baby Murder Conviction Missing Oregon Nurse's Remains Found, Neighbor Charged With Murder: Police
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida man accused of blinding nurse in brutal hospital beating faces hate crime enhancement charge
The Brief A Florida man accused in the savage beating of a nurse faces a hate crime enhancement to second-degree attempted murder charges. Stephen Scantlebury was a Baker Act patient at a Palm Beach hospital when the beating took place. A probable cause affidavit stated that essentially every bone in the nurse's face was broken during the beating, and she would likely be blind. PALM BEACH, Fla. - A patient who investigators say broke essentially every bone in a nurse's face, likely leaving her blind, now faces a hate crime enhancement charge in addition to an attempted second-degree murder charge. The backstory According to a probable cause affidavit, the nurse was caring for 33-year-old Stephen Scantlebury, a patient who was at Palms West Hospital under a Baker Act, when he attacked her. The document shows that a witness said Scantlebury jumped on top of his bed and then on top of the nurse. That witness ran out of the room to get help and when they went back to the room with someone else, the affidavit states that Scantlebury was seen punching the nurse in the face repeatedly while she was on the floor. Video: Florida Wingstop manager throws hot grease, ranch dressing at customers during argument Documents show that when one of the witnesses yelled at Scantlebury, he stopped hitting the nurse and ran out of the room, through the hallway, down a stairwell, across the parking lot and into traffic, where he was taken into custody by responding deputies. The nurse was taken to another hospital by trauma helicopter in critical condition. Medical staff stated that essentially every bone in the victim's face was broken, and she would likely lose the use of both eyes. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Scantlebury was arrested and underwent a medical clearance. A third witness said Scantlebury had been acting paranoid for the last two days, blaming people in his life for events they had nothing to do with, according to the affidavit. What we know Hate crime enhancements, if proven, can result in harsher penalties upon conviction. They highlight the motive behind the defendant's actions and their broader impact on the community. What we don't know Investigators have not said why Scantlebury is facing the hate crime enhancement charge. The Source This story was written with information from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, a probable cause affidavit and previous FOX 13 News reports. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
PBSO adds hate crime charge in patient's beating of Palms West nurse that may leave her blind
ROYAL PALM BEACH — A Wellington man is now facing a possible hate crime charge after his arrest for beating a nurse at HCA Palms West Hospital on Tuesday so badly that he fractured "essentially every bone" in her face and is likely to leave her blind, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. A spokesperson said investigations into the Feb. 18 attack by Stephen Scantlebury, 33, on a nurse at HCA Palms West Hospital has led the office to enhance his existing charge of attempted second-degree murder. It did not specify the reason it is seeking to add the hate crime offense to Scantlebury's charges. "Hate crime enhancements, if proven, can result in harsher penalties upon conviction,' the sheriff's office said in a prepared statement. 'They highlight the motive behind the defendant's actions and their broader impact on the community.' The nurse, who hasn't been identified by the sheriff's office nor HCA, remained in critical condition Wednesday at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach after arriving there on a Trauma Hawk helicopter. She is expected to survive her injuries. Scantlebury, 33, came to Palms West in the days prior to the attack to deal with an ailment the hospital declined to specify, citing patient privacy laws. The sheriff's office said that he had been assessed under the state's Baker Act, which allows a person showing violent or suicidal behavior to be committed involuntarily for up to 72 hours. Scantlebury's arrest report said he did not provide a statement to investigators. The attack happened at about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday. According to the police report, the nurse was taking care of Scantlebury in his room on the third floor when he 'inexplicably' jumped on top of his bed and then onto the nurse to attack her, prompting another nurse to look for help. Witnesses found the nurse lying on the floor and Scantlebury standing over her, hitting her repeatedly in the face with his fists. After the attack, Scantlebury fled the hospital dressed only in shorts and ran along Southern Boulevard with deputies and nurses chasing behind him prior to his arrest. Witnesses told deputies he had been acting paranoid in the two days before the attack. He has no record of prior felony arrests in Palm Beach County, according to online court records. A spokesperson for HCA Florida Palms West said the attack on our "happened within a matter of seconds" and was witnessed by multiple people who came to assist. "Our primary concern is with our beloved colleague and we are praying for her recovery," wrote the hospital in a prepared statement. "We are also providing support to our hospital staff who are understandably shaken by this incident. We are grateful to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office who acted to detain the suspect and we are assisting law enforcement in their investigation." Sign up for our Post on Wellington weekly newsletter, delivered every Thursday! Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@ and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PBSO adds hate crime charge in patient's beating of Palms West nurse
