Remove ads by Supporting Independent News
Written by: E. George
Published October 25, 2024 @ 12:05 PM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – A Wellstar nurse working at North Fulton Hospital has been charged after an investigation over a 95-year-old patient’s missing gold bracelet began.
Authorities arrested Stephanie Phillips-Siwiec after the patient’s daughter reported that her mother’s $1,000-dollar gold chain-link bracelet disappeared from her wrist between the ambulance ride and her arrival in a hospital room on September 28, 2024.
A Roswell police report revealed that the suspect confessed to also using hand sanitizer to remove two rings from another 87-year-old patient. The victim was experiencing lingering pain and visited her doctor the day after her hospital discharge, where he discovered that her finger was dislocated and the bone was cracked.
The 87-year-old victim’s daughter stated, “I can’t explain the feeling that came over me from horror, nausea, wanting to scream. You lose faith in humanity at that moment, that this happened in a place where someone is supposed to be cared for.” She said the incident occurred in August.
She expressed her strong wish to hopefully find the sentimental rings for her mother. She also urged any other victims to report their experiences to law enforcement right away. She added, “It’s our job to advocate for them; they can’t do it for themselves anymore.”
On Thursday, a Fulton County judge set Phillips-Siwiec’s bail at $140,000, prohibited her from contacting any individuals over 75 years old or North Fulton Hospital employees, and banned her from working as a nurse.
A spokesperson for Wellstar Health System explained that Phillips-Siwiec is currently on administrative leave during this active investigation.
The spokesperson stated, “These allegations, if true, go against everything we stand for as caregivers. Every person should feel safe and comfortable when they receive care. We are cooperating with the investigating authorities and will take further action as appropriate. We have apologized to the patient and her family.”
In addition to the suspect’s original charges of three counts of theft by taking (consisting of two felonies), she now faces aggravated battery, three counts of abuse/neglect/exploitation of the elderly, and three counts of robbery.
With the possibility of more victims, authorities are asking the public to call the Roswell Police Department at 770-640-4100 if they believe they were victimized at the hospital.