Grady patient reports theft; hospital says she was warned

Another theft has been alleged by a Grady Memorial Hospital patient, and hospital officials say this crime could’ve been prevented had their warnings been heeded.

The patient filed a report with the Atlanta Police Department on Monday saying an ATM debit card and driver’s license were taken from her room.

It continues a disturbing trend at the hospital, though in this case Grady officials say they shouldn’t be held responsible.

“As a general procedure patients are told to send valuables home with loved ones,” said Grady spokeswoman Denise Simpson.

The patient and her husband were encouraged, once verbally and once in writing, to secure her possessions, she said.

“Grady Health System’s Security Department was notified of the missing patient items late (Monday) evening and has been working, along with the Atlanta Police Department, to determine how and when the items disappeared,” Simpson said in a statement sent to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution late Tuesday. “Because the inpatient unit is open to visitors most of the day, determining exactly who took the items may prove difficult.”

In October, former hospital worker Tacuma Jawara was sentenced to seven years in prison for stealing jewelry and wedding rings from two patients and about $1,000 in money orders from a third.

The case led to changes in Grady’s policies on handling personal items, though theft has been a long-standing problem at the hospital.

There were 260 thefts involving patients, employees and visitors in 2007, compared with 262 in 2006 and 279 in 2005, Simpson said. Numbers from 2008 aren’t yet available.