Nurse accused on multiple charges of sexually assaulting patients at Duke University Hospital
· Yahoo NewsGenerate Key Takeaways
A Duke University Hospital nurse was arrested Thursday on multiple charges of sexually assaulting patients.
Jomil Uy Tugado, 39, of Durham, faces charges including sexual battery, sexual acts by a government or private institution employee, and sexual contact or penetration under the guise of medical treatment, according to documents obtained by ABC11.
University police allege he assaulted two female patients while they were incapacitated, with one incident occurring in May and the other earlier this month.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Tugado's nursing license was suspended on Thursday, according to state records. He made his first court appearance Friday morning.
A Durham County Judge ordered Tugado to be held without bond. His next court appearance in scheduled for January.
Duke Health confirmed that Tugado was removed from patient care and placed on administrative leave on Dec. 7. Tugado began his employment in July 2023, Duke Health says.
In a statement, Duke Health officials said: "At Duke Health, our top priority is to maintain a safe environment for all patients to receive care. We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct and take all allegations of inappropriate behavior seriously... We are fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities in their ongoing investigation and remain committed to supporting those who have been impacted. If patients have witnessed or experienced inappropriate conduct at Duke Health, we ask that they call our hotline at 919-385-3575."
Download the ABC11 App for breaking news alerts and updates
This comes after a former nurse at UNC Rex Hospital was charged with sexually assaulting three patients.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The North Carolina Nurses Association released the following statement in response to these incidents:
"These allegations are beyond horrifying, and our primary concern is for the victims. We hope they are getting the support they need. Patients should always be able to trust every member of their care team; that's especially important when they are at their most vulnerable. This type of incident is exceedingly rare and we hope most people discern that this is not representative of the rest of the profession. The vast majority of nurses spend their careers building up trust through the care they provide, and it is infuriating for the entire profession to see anyone abuse that trust.
NCNA is grateful that North Carolina has a strong Board of Nursing (NCBON) that acted quickly to suspend the licenses of both of these people while the investigations run their course. We support a zero-tolerance policy for these types of allegations from both employers and the NCBON."