Three Valleywise Health employees in Phoenix have been placed on administrative leave after they were arrested Aug. 25 in connection to the alleged abuse of a quadriplegic adult patient in their care, the health system confirmed in a statement shared with Becker's.
Eric Espinoza, 39; Luis Garcia, 53; and Kalen Powell, 37, were arrested and indicted on criminal charges in connection with the incident, police said in a statement shared with Becker's.
The incident occurred June 14 outside Valleywise Behavioral Health Center-Maryvale. The three security guards took the male patient from the healthcare facility in a wheelchair to a nearby park and left him there lying on the ground, police said. The man's mother found her son and called 911.
Police spoke to the man and witnesses and obtained video evidence from the man's mother, police said. Police have not identified the man.
Phoenix fire crews took the man to a different hospital for follow-up care, and the three suspects were indicted Aug. 21 on criminal adult abuse charges. They were arrested and booked into jail Aug. 25.
Valleywise Health, in its statement, said it "takes all instances concerning patient safety very seriously."
The statement added that the public teaching health system is fully cooperating with the investigation, and that the employees have been placed on administrative leave.
"This incident is an opportunity to reevaluate all of our processes to ensure our health system is providing the highest level of care for each and every patient, even under the most difficult and challenging circumstances," Valleywise Health said.