Three former leaders in surgical services at an Illinois hospital have filed a lawsuit alleging major patient safety violations. They claim that a neurosurgeon fell asleep during a surgery, patients remained under anesthesia without a surgeon present, and staff faced retaliation for reporting these issues.
The lawsuit includes 18 pages and was submitted in the Winnebago County Circuit Court. It targets OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. The plaintiffs argue the hospital ignored their repeated patient safety warnings and instead focused on penalizing those who voiced concerns.
Sofia Gudino, Tina Peppers, and Cindamon Proffitt once held key roles in ensuring operating-room safety and regulatory compliance. Beginning in late 2023, they noticed consistent safety breaches in neurosurgical procedures. One notable incident involved two neurosurgeons leaving a patient under anesthesia for about an hour on February 3, 2025.
Medical personnel work in an operating room. A whistleblower lawsuit filed against OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center alleges patient-safety violations within the hospital’s neurosurgery service line. (Getty Images)
Another event on April 17, 2025, involved a neurosurgeon leaving a patient under anesthesia for approximately 37 minutes to attend a meeting. The absence occurred while another neurosurgeon was also participating in the meeting. This resulted in prolonged exposure to anesthesia and questioned billing practices for operating room time.
The complaint alleges patients faced fraudulent charges, as billing for operating room time occurs by the minute. Further accusations emerged about a neurosurgeon seen sleeping during a procedure on October 12, 2023. Despite warnings from Peppers about the surgeon’s fatigue due to prior extensive work hours, the operation continued.
Reports were made repeatedly, yet no investigations or corrective actions were implemented, according to the plaintiffs. The lawsuit mentions insufficient surgical counts, breaches of sterile techniques, erratic neurosurgeon behavior, use of unapproved equipment, and intimidation toward nurses who voiced concerns.
Surgical instruments are displayed on a tray in an operating room. Former surgical-services leaders allege in a lawsuit that repeated patient-safety concerns were ignored by hospital administrators. (Getty Images)
Gudino, Peppers, and Proffitt assert they communicated their concerns via incident reports, OSF Integrity Line, and directly through various hospital departments and senior executives. They highlight issues such as refusal of proper timeouts and debriefings, falsification of safety checklists, and inappropriate behavior towards staff.
Instead of addressing the issues, hospital administrators allegedly warned them to cease reporting, excluded them from meetings, diminished their authority, and added more neurosurgery tasks. They encountered verbal hostility and intimidation, which led to a work environment claimed to be intolerably hostile.
All three resigned in 2025, asserting their departures were forced due to the hostile working conditions. The lawsuit does not include patient claims but accuses the hospital of violating the Illinois Whistleblower Act. Damages are sought for retaliation against employees concerned about patient safety.
The case’s allegations remain unproven in court. OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center has chosen not to comment on the lawsuit at this stage.
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