Three hundred women have filed a lawsuit against a Chicago OB/GYN and associated hospitals, alleging that Dr. Fabio Ortega sexually abused patients over several decades. The lawsuit claims the hospitals—NorthShore University Health System and Swedish Covenant—ignored repeated complaints and allowed Ortega’s predatory behavior to continue unchecked even after his criminal guilty plea in 2021.
The complaint describes abuse beginning as early as the 1990s, involving unnecessary exams, inappropriate questions about patients’ sexual lives, and targeting vulnerable populations—Spanish-speaking, pregnant, underserved, and those with limited medical knowledge. Plaintiffs say they were often made to feel their discomfort was “medical necessity,” and that hospital staff minimized or dismissed allegations of abuse.
For survivors, this lawsuit represents accountability when institutions fail to protect those in their care. It highlights the importance of oversight, whistleblower protections, and clear channels for patients to report abuse. It could also set precedent for how large health systems are held responsible for long-standing abuse by their members of staff.
