The following is a statement from the Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University, David J. Greenwald and Jeh Johnson on the Report of Findings of the Investigation Regarding Robert Hadden’s Abuse of Patients.
“We have carefully reviewed the findings of the investigation regarding Robert Hadden’s abuse of patients. We remain deeply disturbed by the profound harm experienced by survivors. We are truly sorry for the pain and trauma they endured. Patients came to our institution seeking care and placed their trust in us, and that trust was grievously violated. We recognize the courage it has taken for survivors to come forward and share their experiences, and we are grateful to them for doing so. Their voices have been essential in bringing these failures to light and in driving necessary changes to protect patient safety.
“Nothing can undo what happened, but the University is determined to ensure that abuse like this can never occur again. In the years since Hadden’s arrest, the University has taken sustained action to acknowledge the harm, support survivors, and strengthen patient protections. Those efforts include establishing a $100 million Survivors Settlement Fund, voluntarily reaching settlements with more than 1,000 patients totaling more than $1 billion, commissioning this external investigation, implementing significant reforms to our policies and procedures, and investing in additional staff, advanced training, and other resources dedicated to patient safety. At the trustee level we have also instituted a number of reforms to bolster our oversight of the medical center. We remain committed to this vital work and doing what’s necessary to earn and restore trust in our institution.
“The investigation was commissioned by Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital. To facilitate the investigation, each institution formed a special committee of independent and disinterested trustees who did not serve as trustees at the time Hadden was seeing patients. No current University Trustee was serving as a trustee during Hadden’s time seeing patients.”
