Photo: Halfpoint Images / Moment / Getty Images
(Independence, IA) — Three former nurses at the Independence Mental Health Institute have filed complaints against the State of Iowa, alleging they were injured in assaults by patients.
The nurses, Angela Timmerman, Olivia Berger, and Lora Smith, cite non-functioning emergency radios, a lack of security staff, and inactive surveillance cameras as contributing safety failures. The facility is operated by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) previously fined the facility in 2019 for multiple safety violations.