(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Lurie Children’s Hospital has been recognized as one of the top pediatric care facilities in the state, but it’s now pushing back against allegations that it illegally fired a pharmacy tech.
Tina Christner, the former worker, told reporters on Tuesday that she lost her job over her effort to expose what she described as unsafe practices in the hospital’s pharmacy. Christner said when she started as a pharmacy technician at Lurie in November 2023, she immediately noticed violations.
“Everything from how a room is set up, from the way we put on PPE — the personal protective equipment — to how we wash our hands and what we can wear, no makeup, no jewelry, that kind of thing,” she said.
Christner said when she went to management, she was met with hostility.
“Management’s behavior was confrontational,” she said. “They wanted to ignore things. They made excuses. Money came up over and over. They couldn’t afford it. They couldn’t afford it.”
In February 2024, she submitted a complaint to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Christner said she was fired two months later in April 2024. Now, she’s suing Lurie and calling for both accountability and a more supportive work environment.