In light of abuse case CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa calls for better communication about applicants

SALT LAKE CITY — CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa, it’s residents, staff, and families are still reeling at news of the arrest of Certified Nursing Aide Jacob M. Bolith, 30, who allegedly abused and raped an unidentified Villa resident in early July.

"Upon learning of the allegations, we removed the employee from patient care areas, conducted an internal investigation, and contacted the appropriate governmental agencies, including the police," said Galen K. Ewer, administrator and CEO of the Villa in a statement released July 11. "Based on the results of our investigation, (Bolith’s) employment was terminated." Upon his arrest July 13, Bolith had not been on the CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa campus for approximately a week.

On July 13, prosecutors charged Bolith with counts of first-degree felony rape, second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse, and sexual battery, a misdemeanor. Bolith was being held at the Salt Lake County jail on $250,000 bail.

"Obviously, an alleged sexual assault has emotional ramifications for a resident," said Ewer. At the victim’s family’s request, the Villa is not releasing the victim’s name. "We are providing both counseling and spiritual care to the victim."

The Bolith case has brought to light loopholes in communications in the health care system which allowed Bolith to apply for employment at the Villa even though concerns had been raised about alleged sexual abuse of residents in two health care facilities in which Bolith worked prior to applying at the Villa.

In an interview July 12 with the Intermountain Catholic, Ewer said he perused Bolith’s personnel files and he saw no indications of concern about his behavior with residents at facilities for which Bolith has worked in the past, however, those concerns, apparently did exist.

"There is no system in place by which we can be alerted to concerns from other facilities," Ewer said. "Bolith has made multiple applications for renewal of his certification (to the State Division of Professional and Occupational Licensing), including one at the end of February, and there were no indications he was under investigation. We have since learned there have been hearings on prior allegations, the last of which ruled against him."

"CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa has cooperated in every way to assist in bringing all of the facts of the incident to light. We have worked hand-in-hand with the authorities during this process," said Ewer.

Since Bolith’s arrest, more than a dozen allegations of abuse have been registered against him by families of residents of two nursing facilities, one in South Salt Lake and one in Holladay.

Ewer said the Department of Health is working with the Utah Health Care Association, which oversees long-term care facilities, to develop an effective communications system in the wake of the Bolith case.

The health department and CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa have the safety of our residents as our highest priority," he said. "The health department and we agree that improvements in our communications need to be made. Facilities need to be notified if potential or existing employees are being investigated for prior alleged acts, and every resource should be used to investigate a potential employee’s background."