Woman suing over sex abuse by Chicago OB/GYN says she wants to keep it from happening again
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman spoke out Wednesday about a Chicago-area doctor who she said abused her and betrayed her trust.
The woman is one of hundreds involved in a lawsuit against OB/GYN Dr. Fabio Ortega, now 77. She wants to ensure such a thing never happens again.
Ortega pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two patients in October 2021. He is now a registered sex offender. He was sentenced to three years in prison time and has been off parole since October of last year.
The civil lawsuit details alleged sex abuse stemming back to the early 1990s. The women abused said they spoke up again and again, and nothing happened.
The woman who spoke to CBS 2 first walked into Dr. Ortega's exam room more than 20 years ago – having just immigrated to the United States in the final trimester of her pregnancy.
"I feel that I'm very much still living through this and going through the emotions," the woman said.
The woman did not want to show her face, but she said it is important for people to listen to her story, which she told through a Spanish interpreter.
The woman said Dr. Ortega took advantage of her vulnerability - not only as a woman desperate for care at the end of her pregnancy, but as a woman referred to him by a community health clinic.
"During the first visit, I could just sense something that he wasn't doing something right," the woman said.
The feeling never went away.
"The first time he ever touched me to examine me was without gloves," she said.
But the woman needed care.
"I was simply exposed," she said.
CBS 2 is not sharing the more intimate details of the woman's story. But she did have the strength to speak up to a female hospital staffer.
"I told the woman that I did not feel comfortable," the woman said.
She requested a chaperone.
The woman said the hospital staffer told her to talk to Dr. Ortega.
"Perhaps she was scared of losing her job," the woman said through the interpreter.
All these years later, it is still hard for the woman to talk about.
"She didn't hear me," the woman said.
The woman is now being heard as one of 300 women behind a lawsuit filed against the hospital system where Ortega worked - NorthShore University Health System and Swedish Hospital, which are now Endeavor Health. Ortega himself is also a defendant in the lawsuit.
The woman said speaking out is her way of giving her past self a hug, while making sure no other woman goes through what she did.
A spokesperson for Endeavor Health said they cannot respond to direct questions due to pending legal matters and patient privacy. But the health system did release this statement Tuesday:
"As a healthcare provider, there is nothing more important than providing a safe and trusted environment for our patients, community and team members. It's a responsibility we take very seriously. We have absolutely no tolerance for abuse of any kind.
"We recognize the tremendous strength and courage it takes for survivors of abuse to come forward. We believe trust is earned, and we will always look for opportunities to demonstrate our commitment to the highest standards of safety and quality in our care. We have enhanced and continue to improve and evolve our processes and policies to ensure we have an environment that supports reporting of threatened or actual abuse. Our policies require we investigate all allegations of abuse that are reported to us, take prompt action in all matters and fully cooperate with law enforcement.
"We have focused on reviewing individual claims and are committed to engaging in a process that allows for meaningful review and response to each person impacted.
"Due to pending legal matters and patient privacy, we are unable to comment on any specific case or allegations."