Henrico County, VA – Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Henrico County, Virginia, has reopened its doors to new admissions in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) following an investigation into disturbing allegations of abuse. The hospital’s reopening comes after a suspension of new admissions in December 2024 when three babies were found with unexplainable fractures. These incidents closely resemble earlier cases from 2023, in which four infants were similarly harmed.
In an exclusive interview with 8News, a mother, identified only as Ms. Mason for privacy reasons, spoke out about the alleged abuse her newborn son, “Baby L,” suffered while being treated in the NICU. Mason gave birth to Baby L on August 18, 2024, and trusted the hospital to provide a safe environment for her son. However, she revealed that, instead of receiving the care she expected, her child endured several fractures, with every limb affected.
“It was the place I believed my son would be safe the whole time — and he was not,” Mason said, expressing her shock and disbelief. She was accompanied by her attorney, Lee Livingston, during the interview, who emphasized the profound impact this abuse has had on the infant’s life.
Livingston, of the Livingston Law Group, PLLC, stated, “When you look at what should be the safest place for a baby, a parent should be able to really trust that no harm will come to their child — but that didn’t happen here, and that’s shocking to everyone involved.”
The alleged abuse in the NICU has become the focus of a criminal investigation, with former NICU nurse Erin Strotman of Chesterfield County facing felony charges for the abuse of one of the babies injured in 2024. According to Mason, Strotman had interacted with her son during his time in the NICU, adding further concern to the ongoing investigation.
While the criminal case progresses, Livingston confirmed that no lawsuit has been filed as of yet. He explained that hospital attorneys have reached out to his office, and they are awaiting additional information before pursuing any legal action. “What we’re hoping is that this is a learning opportunity for healthcare providers nationwide,” Livingston added.
The hospital’s decision to resume accepting NICU admissions while the investigation continues has sparked further debate about patient safety and the protocols in place to prevent such incidents. The parents affected by these allegations, as well as the public, are calling for a thorough and transparent examination of the hospital’s practices and greater accountability within the healthcare system.
As the investigation unfolds, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and healthcare providers across the nation are under intense scrutiny, with many urging for stronger safeguards to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable patients — newborns in the NICU.
