**Headline:** Holly Hill Hospital Faces State Investigation, “Immediate Jeopardy” Sanction After Violent Patient Uprising

**RALEIGH, N.C.** – A violent uprising involving teenage patients at Holly Hill Hospital just days before Christmas 2024 resulted in seven individuals being sent to the emergency room and has triggered a sweeping state investigation, placing the psychiatric facility under an “immediate jeopardy” sanction for the third time in five years.

The incident, which occurred at the hospital located near WakeMed off New Bern Avenue, began when a group of female teen patients broke into a nurse’s station and a medication room, leading to a rapid escalation of chaos and violence. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has since released a detailed 347-page report outlining the events and a history of safety concerns at the facility.

According to the state report, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. One individual present during the incident described the scene, stating, “Seemed like one thing after another, and it got out of control fast.” The level of fear was palpable, with another person remarking, “When I left I thought ‘thank God I’m alive. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt.’”

The DHHS investigation determined that conditions at the hospital posed a direct threat to patient health and safety, leading to the immediate jeopardy sanction. This designation is one of the most severe penalties federal regulators can impose on a healthcare facility. The report noted that regulators “did not ‘feel’ that patients were safe with the number of staff” on duty at the time.

This recent sanction marks a troubling pattern for Holly Hill. It is the third time in the past five years the hospital has been cited for immediate jeopardy. Karen Burkes, acting deputy secretary of health at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, commented on the hospital’s history, stating, “Repeat noncompliance at this level of severity is troubling.”

The state’s findings are further compounded by a history of calls to the Raleigh Police Department. Data shows 147 calls for service to Holly Hill related to sexual offenses, including 24 calls for rape or to pick up a rape kit, between January 1, 2019, and May 6, 2025. Additionally, authorities have responded to 17 calls related to patient escapes from the facility since 2019.

The concerns are shared by lawmakers and families of patients. State Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett) has taken notice of the recurring issues at the facility. Kathleen, the mother of a former patient who was not involved in the December incident, expressed her own anxieties about the hospital’s environment.

In response to the investigation and public scrutiny, Universal Health Services (UHS), the parent company of Holly Hill, issued a statement through Public Relations Director Jane Crawford. “When we identify an area where improvement is needed, we respond with a sense of urgency,” Crawford stated.

Leigh Holston, the CEO of Holly Hill Hospital, also addressed the critical issue of staffing levels, which was a key finding in the state’s report. “We increase staff to meet the needs and acuity of the patients we serve on a daily basis,” Holston said.

Following the immediate jeopardy declaration, Holly Hill was required to submit a plan of correction to state and federal regulators to address the deficiencies. The hospital remains under intense scrutiny as it works to rectify the safety violations and rebuild trust with the community and the families it serves.