Boneheaded Hospital ‘Drill’ Brings a Lawsuit

LAS VEGAS (CN) - A hospital ICU director says she was "emotionally traumatized" by being held hostage at gunpoint by a distraught patient - who turned out to be an off-duty police officer performing a "drill" staged by her bosses. The woman says she "believed she was going to die" and asked the gunman if she could call her children, "to say goodbye."

Ourida Diktakis was director of the Intensive Care Unit at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in May 2010 when the gunman, who later identified himself as Charles Yannis, pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.

"Plaintiff believed she was going to die," Diktakis says in her complaint in Clark County Court.

Yannis ordered Diktakis, a nurse, and the house supervisor into a break room, where he held them hostage.

Diktakis says she asked if she could call her children "to say goodbye, thinking that she and the others were going to be killed." She also asked the gunman "if she could go sit with her nurse, who was crying at the time."

Surprise!

"After a period of time, the gunman put the gun away and announced that it was a 'drill.' He then identified himself as an off-duty Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer," according to the complaint.

Diktakis says her bosses failed to inform ICU staff of the drill and negligently allowed the use of a real gun "instead of using an easily recognizable fake weapon."

She claims Yannis "took pleasure in traumatizing" her and that "There was no point to the 'drill' other than to traumatize staff, patients and visitors and there was no explanation of why it was purportedly conducted".

To cap it off, she says, defendant Kim Dokken "was given a 'Leader of the year' award for 2010 from St. Rose [Hospital], notwithstanding her role in the 'drill.'"

Diktakis seeks damages for assault, false imprisonment and negligence.

Named as defendants are Catholic Healthcare West, St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Charles Yannis, Bernard Jones, Kim Dokken, and Matthew Berhold.

Berhold is an employee of St. Rose; Jones is a former employee.

Diktakis is represented by Lawrence Semenza.

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