Former UNC Nurse Arrested

William Gary Sullivan, 43, of Durham is being held on $25,000 bail for charges saying he is a fugitive from another state.

Sullivan is also facing local charges of statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a child.

These charges are said to be in connection with events that occurred March 14, 2001.

Sullivan was freed on bond for these charges.

The rape charges Sullivan faces from Pennsylvania allegedly stem from an incident that occurred Oct. 31, 2000.

Tom Hughes, managing editor for institutional relations at UNC Hospitals, said Sullivan was an employee at the hospital for 11 years. Sullivan was employed in the respiratory intensive care unit until May 2000 and was then transferred to the post-anesthetic care unit.

His employment at UNC Hospitals was terminated May 25, 2001 for reasons undisclosed because of a state personnel privacy law.

In the event that a hospital employee is charged with a crime, hospital administrators determine -- on a case-by-case basis -- whether the crime affects the the employee's work and warrants any action such as dismissal or paid leave.

UNC Hospitals devotes $90,000 of its budget to run mandatory background checks and substance abuse screens on every incoming employee.

Hughes said that like all other employees, Sullivan also received a background check.

This check not only sought to find whether Sullivan had a criminal record in North Carolina but also whether he had a criminal record in several other states.

"The background checks did not find any prior criminal record, and so therefore Sullivan was cleared for employment," Hughes said.

The hospital does not have any means for determining whether an employee has been charged with a crime outside of North Carolina after the background checks have been completed.

In order to do this, the hospital would have to run the expensive background checks on every employee on a consistent bases.

This option is not economically feasible, Hughes said.

Hughes said UNC Hospitals officials have no plans as of yet to contact the patients who Sullivan might have come into contact with. However, the hospital will work with patients who have questions concerning the situation.

"If a patient has any concerns or questions then we intend to investigate those concerns completely," said Hughes.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.