During medical appointments, Paduch was accused of sexual acts, some of which included instructing or engaging in masturbation, sometimes without gloves, performing needless rectal exams, and pressing his own body against the patients, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
WCM stated it will commit $30 million to create an Institute for Safe Patient Care and Patient Empowerment that is supposed to help “drive dialogue and action” by healthcare organizations to identify and prevent sexual misconduct.
In a statement, WCM said the former faculty member’s misconduct represented a “profound betrayal of our mission and the trust that patients place in physicians and medical institutions. No patient should ever experience abuse by a clinician.”
The group stated it has already implemented reforms to enhance patient safety and to prevent future misconduct, such as expanded chaperone requirements, creating a centralized process for patient complaints and reporting sexual misconduct, and developing protocols that reduce the risk that abuse could go undetected.
PVCA Law represented 150 patients who accused Paduch of sexual abuse. Mallory Allen, a partner at PCVA Law and attorney, commended the DOJ for acknowledging that patient safety depends on hospitals taking responsibility.