Three former surgical-services leaders at a hospital in Illinois have filed a whistleblower lawsuit in Winnebago County Circuit Court. The lawsuit alleges several serious incidents within the neurosurgery department at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.
According to the complaint, Sofia Gudino, Tina Peppers, and Cindamon Proffitt, who held leadership roles in operating-room safety, were aware of repeated safety violations from late 2023 onwards. Among these allegations, the lawsuit claims surgeons left patients under anesthesia unattended during operations.
The lawsuit details a specific incident on February 3, 2025, when two neurosurgeons left a patient anesthetized on the operating table for about an hour. Another incident on April 17, 2025, describes a neurosurgeon leaving an operation for 37 minutes to attend a meeting. These actions allegedly resulted in prolonged anesthesia exposure for patients.
The complaint asserts that patients were overcharged for operating room time due to unethical billing practices. It also claims a surgeon was seen falling asleep during a procedure on October 12, 2023, despite warnings from Peppers about fatigue risks.
“Despite repeated reports, no investigations were initiated, no corrective actions taken, and the unsafe behavior continued,” the lawsuit states.
Additional claims include failures in surgical counts, breaches of sterile techniques, and using unapproved medical equipment. Gudino, Peppers, and Proffitt reported various concerns, but they allege hospital administrators retaliated against them for doing so. The reported retaliation included exclusion from meetings, loss of authority, and additional duties.
The lawsuit states they faced hostile behavior until resigning in 2025, claiming intolerable conditions amounted to constructive discharge. It seeks damages for retaliatory actions under the Illinois Whistleblower Act.
OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center did not comment when approached by Fox News Digital. The allegations have not been proven, and OSF will have the opportunity to respond in court.