Sometimes, mental health treatment means having to go into a modern psychiatric hospital. Unlike psychiatric hospitals of old, modern facilities are meant to help stabilize an individual and provide a safe and protected environment for a person to heal with around-the-clock care.
But modern psychiatric hospitals still have their share of troubles, as illustrated in an in-depth piece today in the Los Angeles Times which examines Psychiatric Solutions Inc (PSI), a chain of psychiatric hospitals across the country. In the article, the problems with the chain are laid out:
Since 2005, the 10 hospitals PSI has owned longest have compiled almost twice as many patient-care deficiencies as 10 similar hospitals owned by its closest competitor, Universal Health Services Inc.
The PSI hospitals were cited in three patient deaths and for placing patients in immediate jeopardy four times, the inspection records show. The UHS hospitals received no equivalent citations.
Among private psychiatric hospitals in California, Sierra Vista had the single highest rate of state and federal deficiencies — about eight times the statewide average.
It has twice been fined $25,000 for endangering patients — accounting for the only such penalties levied against psychiatric hospitals under a 2006 state law establishing the sanctions.
Yikes. Not exactly good things to hear about a facility where you’re literally putting your life into their hands.
What’s the problem? Likely staffing issues related to a chase for ever-increasing profits and unchecked growth (going from 5 facilities to 95 in just 5 short years):
The five PSI hospitals in California had a profit margin of more than 25% in 2007, according to data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The average for the state’s other for-profit psychiatric hospitals was about 6%.
The data also shed some light on how PSI has achieved these results.
PSI’s California hospitals proportionally have fewer registered nurses than other private psychiatric facilities: about one for every four beds, compared with one for every two beds, according to the state data. Overall, the PSI hospitals have about one-third fewer staffers per bed.
There’s nothing wrong with growing one’s business, but not at the expense of patient care. And this is a prime example of an argument that hospitals — all hospitals of all types — should be run as non-profit organizations, rather than for-profit businesses which are rewarded for cost cutting, regardless of patient care.
The article is a long piece and goes into detail about these concerns, illustrated throughout with the tragic stories of those affected by PSI’s care.
It’s worth the read.
Read the full article: Psychiatric care’s peril and profits
(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
15 Comments to
“Psychiatric Solutions Hospitals Under Fire”
Between hospitals trying to make a profit and insurance companies trying to hold down their costs, it’s a miracle that anyone who is hopsitlized today gets adequate psychiatric treatment.
Wendy Aron, author of Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears adn Found Happiness
http://www.wendyaron.com
PSI is also having problems in Illinois where I am. They own Riveredge hospital, and the situation there became so severe that child & family services had to pull children and adolescents from the facility due to allegations of patient-on-patient abuses that staff alledgely knew was occurring. DCFS also cut their contacts with staff as a result.
Wendy, in response to your comment: the problem we are facing in the metro-Chicago area is a lack of in-patient psychiatric facilities for patients in need. There are some quality hospitals out there, but they are getting more sparce as the state cuts funding for mental health and substance abuse services. Many hospitals are reducing their beds because of the lack of funding and increased number of uninsured patients. It’s not just an issue with the insurance companies or those doctors who over-extend inpt treatments.
The root of the problem is buried in the story: the absence of professional nursing care.
It’s the elephant in the room that no one EVER addresses. I blogged about professional nursing, health policy and patient advocacy, but to be honest, it’s been fruitless as no one cares in any sense.
I am a natural advocate for survivors of trauma. I have spoken at one state hospital and they received me with open arms. I would like to speak at all state and mental hospitals and schools. However, it appears that some hospital facilities do not wish to hear survivor’s share their stories. I look over their web sites and I don’t see their training that would include survivor’s story. I would say that our stories are much more personal and informative than coming from doctors who are over-medicating. I would like to see more involvment counselling and less medication. This may step on the toes of Psychiatrist, however, when over medication results, patients tend to suffer from severe constipation and add neglect to this, causing some patients to die. This really needs to be changed in the system.
This isa link to a site that published my then 11 year old son’s horror story about his 17 month stay in Psy Inc. owned Havenwyck Hospital in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
I have been trying to report the abuse at that place for almost three years and nobody will listen to me. It’s really quite apalling.
I run a website that advocates patient rights against this corporation and other psychiatric abuses. Please check out our website to find out more information on PSI and the hospitals that they run. I am always looking for volunteers or contributors as well.
What is the name of your site? I’d like to check it out. Thanks.
Subject: Sexual abuse of children who are state wards- Psychiatric Solutions owned facilty Havenwyck Hospital- Auburn Hills, Michigan
Because nobody will investigate the very real sexual abuse occurring at Havenwyck Hospital in Auburn Hills, Michigan I have been forced to air the situation on our local messageboard. This link will take you to the site. Thank you for you attention to this serious matter.
http://www.upnorthlife.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=4236
——————————————————————————–
PSY is definately a profit oriented company cutting corners on training and staffing. They also staff with the least qualified persons they can in order to keep wages low. I know of one of their CEO’s who had an MBA from an online university that is not even accredited. He got it in less than 1 year. The company knew it and told him to keep it quiet.
I worked for this company. They are under staffed as a policy. They staff with only the cheapest, least qualified people. They regularly have floor staff with no training of any kind running patient groups. The psychiatrists almost never see their patents and just make up chart notes. They hold patients hostage who have good insurance and have a no admit list for people they know don’t have insurance or toss them out when it expires regardless of how sick they are. They have zero psychologists in the hospital, I never could figure out how they got away with this. Anyone who brought any concern to management suddenly disappeared. The employee at their chino facility who was arrested for molesting the child patients was named employee of the year the week before despite the fact that numerous people had voiced concerns about this guy. The hospital refused to cooperate with the police investigation of this guy. The girl who he is accused of abusing could describe the inside of his house. The hospital is paying for his legal defense so they won’t have to pay damages to the family of the child whose life he destroyed. This place is a real class act.
Please feel free to check out my blogs and links. I am a Natural Advocate who came from three generations of incest. We are making a difference in the way people who are victimized are treated. I see the changes starting and it is so excited. I look forward to sharing my story all over the U.S. If you want to hear a story of murder, domestic violence, abuse of every nature, please feel free to contact me. I guarantee you that I can help get your organization funding through sharing my story. My story captivates the audience every time.
Thank you,
Susie Hortman
amen to the comments posted by disgusted April 1st,2009. I was also an employee of a PSI faciliy and one of those who mysteriously disappeared. I continue to have contact with individuals still employed and the staffing doesnt change unless for the worse. They get rid of the good and keep the incompetent. To say they have a registered nurse for every 4 patients is a gross understatement. There is often one RN on units of 15 to 20 patients. The remainder of licensed nursing staff consist of Licensed Vocational/Practical nurses or as in CA. Licensed Psychiatric Technitions who cant legally practice as licensed clinical or nuring personnel in other states. This money hungry corporation who will do whatever it takes to make a dime for their share holder including things as psychyological harassment to their employees. Thier corporate personnel have educational backgrounds in finance and not healthcare. Bottom line is the top line or the top dollar at whatever cost including negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of their patients and nursing staff.
I am currently waiting to see my fate at the hands of PSI. I was asked to live Tuesday morning and turn in my badge and keys. I am a MHT who had 22 pt and one patient eloped while i was busy tending to the others while the only RN was in the med room. Myself and the RN where the only staff available to see to the safety of these patients. I had worked my 3 days off to ensure that the patients were safe and on my schedule day to work i get feed to the wolf. This is a typical senario at my job the harder you work the more likely you’ll get turned on.
I was attacked by a male sex offender while running an art therapy group/Fox Run Hospital, St. Clairsville, OH. (Jan, 2007). They will not pay me a penny in compensation to date!! However, they gave me approximately $40 to travel to Columbus, OH, when the juvenile was convicted of felony abduction against me.
After having a near-perfect evaluation after my first three months of employments, shenanigans followed after my assault!!!
How about a class action law suit?
I work at SSBTS (GA). We recently had a high profile patient. I was amazed that Nancy Grace refered to us as a health care facility (we should be the trailer park of treatment facilities). We finally got our roof shingled after two years, the carpet is stained very bad, during a remodled we found several common areas with black mold. We are a mental health facility but we get many patient who should not be there because they are not medically stable for our facility–medicare should investigate. Managementy tried to pull oxygen from our facility and we don’t have AED(s) anymore. We are significantly understaffed this is the norm. Staff is bullied and terrorized by acting CEO Mike Hamm. Who said at a staff meeting recently, “I don’t care if you mom dies, you will work your schedule!” We are being serious mismanaged. We are holding patients 45 or more days in a 14 day program. I strongly suggest that anyone needing any psychiatric help, please research the facility and if its own by PSI please consider using a public facility where they will provide quality care, at SSBTS they care more about you money than your treatment. Their motto is if we help them we lose repeat business.
Join the Conversation! Post a Comment:
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 24 Nov 2008
