SUMTER, S.C. (WSPA) – A South Carolina hospital employee died after being hit by a patient on May 27.
According to the Sumter Police Department, Imani Cox, 27, was admitted to Prisma Health Tuomey for a court-ordered evaluation and tried to leave the facility when hospital security and staff members attempted to detain her.
An investigation revealed that Cox was aggressive and began to fight with employees, hitting at least two of them.
Police said a mental health technician, Kevin Robinson, 40, was hit in the groin area before he got sick and became unresponsive. He died a few days later. Robinson worked for the hospital for eleven years.
Cox was taken to a Columbia-area hospital where she was treated.
Once she was released, she was charged with second-degree assault and battery.
Prisma Health released the following statement:
“We are sad to be here today to acknowledge that we lost one of our team members, a Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital Emergency Department team member, following a workplace violence incident. He worked for us for 11 years and was well-loved by his team members…We extend our heartfelt condolences to our team member’s loved ones and to our Tuomey Hospital family who share this loss…A thorough internal investigation related to this incident has already begun, and with the goal of learning ways to prevent other incidents from happening. We are grieved to experience violence at our hospital, which is a place intended for healing. Prisma Health is committed to working every day to provide a safe, violence-free workplace for all team members and the patients in our care.”
Jean Meyer
SVP, Acute Care Operations, Chief Nuring Officer, Executive Sponsor of Workplace Violence Cmte.
