Hospital vouches for safety after Napa State murder
Days after a Napa State Hospital patient was arrested for killing a female employee, Sonoma Valley Hospital officials restated their confidence in security procedures for treating patients from the Napa facility.
The body of Donna Gross, 54, was found Saturday on the Napa State grounds. According to the Napa County coroner, the Concord woman had been strangled to death.
Arrested Sunday was Jess Willard Massey, 37, a legally insane inmate of the state hospital system since a 1993 arrest for robbery and attempted murder.
Witness accounts had pointed to him right away, said Sheriff’s Capt. Tracey Stuart. Pieces of the victim’s jewelry were found in Massey’s room. He was arrested Sunday on suspicion of murder and robbery.
The apparent motive was robbery, Stuart said. There was no evidence of sexual assault.
The crime comes two months after Sonoma Valley Hospital entered into a contract to provide acute care to Napa State Hospital patients. SVH officials said Tuesday that the hospital would review security procedures regarding Napa patients at the Sonoma facility.
“I will not allow, at this hospital, anything that would put our staff or patients at risk,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Cohen.
The acute care contract stipulates that no SVH staff member will experience an encounter with a Napa State Hospital patient without a NSH employee present.
NSH is responsible for transporting patients, and providing appropriate security personnel to accompany them at all times.
Cohen stated that the security conditions at SVH are completely different than on the Napa campus, where patients can move about the grounds freely.
SVH CEO Kelly Mather stated that the security measures now in place are guaranteeing the safety of all Sonoma Valley Hospital patients and staff.
The first and most important consideration for Sonoma Valley Hospital is the health and safety of patients and staff, she said.
One thought on “Hospital vouches for safety after Napa State murder”
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Since Police Chief Sackett was sufficiently assuaged as to safety (which was an effective green light) prior to this tragedy I wonder if he could issue a public statement as to who exactly is responsible for security and why this can’t happen here.
It would be appreciated.