Crystal Lake woman accused of battering security guard, nurse and doctor at hospital

A Crystal Lake woman is accused of battering a security officer, an emergency room nurse and a physician Saturday morning while at Mercyhealth Hospital.

Deborah A. Muehlbauer, 49, of the 400 block of Westwood Court, is charged with one count of aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony, and two counts of aggravated battery, Class 3 felonies, according to the criminal complaint filed in the McHenry County courthouse.

The Class 2 felony, which is a more serious charge and pertains to injuring the hospital security guard, carries a potential prison term of three to seven years. The charge also is probational.

Police said that at 3:15 a.m. Saturday, Muehlbauer was in the emergency department at the Crystal Lake hospital when she scratched a hospital security guard on the right forearm with her fingernails, struck a physician in the chest with a closed fist and kicked a nurse in the upper-right thigh with her foot, according to the complaint.

Administrators at the hospital said Wednesday the safety of employees and patients “is of the utmost importance to Mercyhealth.”

“Mercyhealth does not tolerate any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, or other disruptive behavior and we are committed to maintaining a safe, healing environment for partners, patients, and visitors,” Tyler Killpack, a Mercyhealth administrator said. “Unfortunately, these situations happen too often in healthcare, especially in emergency departments.”

Last year, an Algonquin woman was convicted of battery after she kicked a pregnant nurse in the stomach at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital. The nurse and her baby were OK. The woman was sentenced to probation.

According to a letter published in the American Hospitals Association in March 2022 urging the U.S. Department of Justice to implement federal laws to better protect health care workers, “violence against hospital employees has markedly increased” since the onset of the pandemic.

“There is no sign it is receding. Studies indicate that 44% of nurses report experiencing physical violence and 68% report experiencing verbal abuse during the pandemic,” according to the letter.

At a court appearance Saturday, Muehlbauer was released from the county jail with conditions. She was ordered not to have contact with the three employees she is accused of injuring, according to the court petition.

She also was ordered to report to probation and court services for pretrial supervision; refrain from drinking alcohol; and wear a secure continuous remote alcohol monitor, a tamper-resistant bracelet worn around the ankle.

The SCRAM is able to test a person’s sweat for alcohol at least once per hour. She also is required to submit to random urine testing for alcohol and drugs.

Muehlbauer, who is being represented by the public defender’s office, is due in court Monday.