Former Hacienda CEO faced several sexual harassment claims since 2006
Jan 24, 2019, 10:01 PM | Updated: Jan 25, 2019, 7:16 am
PHOENIX — Bill Timmons, the longtime Hacienda HealthCare CEO who resigned after an incapacitated patient gave birth last month, had been accused of sexual harassment and poor treatment by several employees since 2006.
The facility confirmed this to KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday after it was originally reported by the Arizona Republic.
In a statement, Hacienda board chairman Tom Pomeroy said the the accusations were taken seriously and law attorneys who specialize in harassment cases were hired to investigate.
It added that the facility reprimanded Timmons and “enforced serious consequences.”
“Corrective action included counseling and more than 30 training sessions in a number of areas,” the statement said. “Timmons was also forced to forego financial bonuses and raises.”
RELATED STORIES
The statement defended the decision to keep Timmons on board as CEO after the allegations.
“While in hindsight (firing Timmons) may appear to be an easy call, it was not that simple in the moment,” the statement said. “While Timmons attracted controversy and detractors, his years-long advocacy for Hacienda’s clients and their families helped fuel the growth of the company and increase its ability to change lives for the better.
“Regardless, no amount of success changes one critical fact: What happened at Hacienda should never have happened – and can never happen again.
On Dec. 29, a patient who had suffered from “significant intellectual disabilities” as a result of early childhood seizures since she was 3 gave birth at the facility.
On Wednesday, 36-year-old Nathan Dorceus Sutherland, the nurse who was caring for the victim when the alleged sexual assault occurred, was arrested after a DNA sample matched him to the boy.
Timmons resigned on Jan. 7.
