07/31/2026
💬 We’ve been no stranger to bringing light to injustices, like Erin Strotman’s case, in which a NICU nurse was found to have hurt infants in her care right here in Virginia.
We recently met with hospital executives of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, to discuss the NICU incidents, the hospital’s response and the concerns shared by members of our birthing community.
We’ve been talking about this case since day one — so we welcomed the opportunity for a direct and thoughtful conversation with Henrico Doctors’ Hospital leadership.
We were given the opportunity to learn more about the case in detail. Like many of you, we questioned how the decision to allow former employee Erin Strotman to return to work during the investigation even happened.
Hospital leadership shared that the decision was made after consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, which expressed no concerns about a potential return as long as appropriate training and safeguards were in place.
Hospital leaders outlined several steps taken in partnership with regulatory and oversight agencies, law enforcement and Child Protective Services to strengthen safety, reporting and oversight in the NICU.
These measures include:
• Stronger reporting protocols
• Required training on identifying and reporting suspected abuse or neglect
• Fragile-bone protocol training
• 24/7 video recording in NICU rooms
While the charges and sentencing are beyond HDH’s jurisdiction, we appreciate the efforts HDH has taken to make sure incidents like these never happen again.
This meeting gave us the space to ask hard questions through open dialogue, and we left encouraged by the hospital’s commitment to listening, strengthening care and safety, and continuing engagement with the birthing community.
Ongoing transparency and collaboration will be essential to rebuilding trust with families and birth workers.
