Ten months of inspections at Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital: May 2024 to February 2025
The hospital was cited for failing to report a suspected child sexual assault.
Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital was cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for failing to report a suspected child sexual assault last summer.
The incident was one of five times health department inspectors went to the Jefferson Health-owned hospital to investigate potential safety problems between May 2024 and February 2025.
Here’s a look at the publicly available details:
July 2: The Joint Commission, a nonprofit hospital accreditation agency, renewed the hospital’s accreditation, effective April 2024, for 36 months.
July 22: Inspectors cited the hospital for failing to report a case of suspected child sexual assault in April. A child was brought to the hospital by a family member who requested the child be examined for sexual assault. Hospital staff completed an exam, but did not report the case. Hospital workers are mandated reporters, meaning they are required to notify child protective services when they treat patients for suspected sexual assault. The hospital responded to the citation by retraining staff on mandatory reporting requirements and auditing child sexual assault cases to ensure they are being properly reported.
July 29: Inspectors followed up on a March 2024 complaint and found the hospital was in compliance. The hospital had been cited for failing to report potential abuse and neglect of a patient that occurred at the patient’s home.
Aug. 13: Inspectors came to investigate a complaint but found the hospital was in compliance. Complaint details are not made public when inspectors determine it was unfounded.
Nov. 13: Inspectors followed up on the July complaint regarding failure to report a suspected child sexual assault and found the hospital was in compliance.
Feb. 3, 2025: Inspectors conducted a special monitoring survey of a surgical robot, stress test equipment, a medical gas delivery system, and automated medication dispensing units, and found the hospital was in compliance.
Pennsylvania Department of Health routinely inspects hospitals to ensure the facility is safe for patients and that staff are following all safety protocols. Inspectors may also visit when a hospital staff member or patient files a complaint.
Not all safety violations spark an on-site investigation from inspectors. Hospitals are required to self-report the most serious safety violations and often work directly with the state to address them. Complaint details are not made public when inspectors determine it was unfounded.
The Inquirer tracks publicly available hospital reports related to a complaint, special monitoring, and general safety inspections. The Inquirer does not track inspections for new equipment or occupancy surveys, unless problems are identified.
Inspection reports are publicly available online and are released 40 days after the report is completed.
The Inquirer is publishing roundups of state inspection reports for Pa. hospitals in our coverage area.
