The U.S. Department of Justice investigated St. Elizabeths Hospital in 2005. Its findings revealed a 450-patient institution in dire need of improvement in virtually every area: assessment, treatment, care, monitoring and reporting.
Patients were subjected to assaults, to harm from escapes and suicide attempts, and to undue seclusion and restraints, the DOJ revealed in its March 2006 report. Investigations into allegations of abuse and neglect were inadequate. And the hospital’s infrastructure is crumbling.
According to the DOJ:
» Between January and April 2005, there were 138 patient-to-patient altercations, during which “there appears to have been little or no supervision.” Many of the assaults ended in serious injury and death.
» There were 86 escapes during the first four months of 2005. Patients routinely and easily left St. Elizabeths without authorization, placing themselves in danger. On Jan. 15, 2005, a patient given one hour of grounds privileges returned four hours later with a crack pipe.
» Patients who exhibited suicidal tendencies were not properly monitored and treated. Psychiatric assessments at the hospital were “grossly inadequate.”
» Use of seclusion and restraints “substantially depart from generally accepted professional standards.” Patients were restrained excessively on weekends “to compensate for shortage of staff and personnel.” Seclusion rooms contained metal beds with exposed and pointed corners and screws.
» There were rarely follow-ups to significant incidents, no systemic reviews of patterns or trends of incidents and no accurate data for purposes of risk management.
