Veterans treated in psychiatric wards which "threaten their lives"

Jun 19 2007

A report by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations has found serious flaws in services for veterans at two psychiatric wards in a Seattle hospital.

The report was released last week by U.S. Democratic Senator Patty Murray, and it reveals a long list of problems with veterans hospitals in the Seattle area.

The Joint Commission, a nonprofit hospital standards group, says in the report that many features such as shower heads, handrails and other fixtures posed serious suicide risks to psychiatric patients, and ward conditions at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System posed an "immediate threat to life".

The report also says the Department of Veterans Affairs was aware for months of the situation but refused to fix the problems.

When the medical standards group threatened to curtail its endorsement of the two area hospitals last month hasty attempts were made to address the problems but the nation has been shocked by revelations of the poor standard of treatment offered to veterans at the Department of Defense's Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

On a two hour visit to the Seattle VA hospital last week Senator Murray saw evidence that the hospital is attempting to handle the problems but she was critical and says there is a leadership issue at the hospital rather than a lack of resources.

The Joint Commission inspected the VA Puget Sound Health Care System from May 14th to May 17th and found picture frames with sharp metal corners hung on the walls and fire extinguishers sitting behind breakable glass panes.

Other problems observed included outdated medication not segregated from other medication, contradictory patient records and nurses who had not been screened for exposure to tuberculosis for several years, putting them at risk of infection.

Also the common recreation areas were furnished with furniture which was moveable and not bolted down.

The document says VA officials knew as far back as February that suicidal patients could use several room fixtures to hang themselves, but "rejected that these were viable risks and elected not to correct them"; a patient at the Seattle VA hospital was found hanging from a support rail in November.

Dennis Lewis, director of the VA Northwest Health Network, and Stan Johnson, the hospital's new director, acknowledged the poor response to the recommendations made following the suicide but are now trying to address all the commission's findings.

Rails from the beds have been removed and 70 new beds ordered along with extra-heavy furniture for the psychiatric wards at the hospitals.

It has also removed pictures from the walls except in public areas, and is taking other steps such as covering pipes under bathroom sinks to prevent patients from hanging themselves.

The improvements will cost the military $450,000 and they are also promising to hire at least 25 percent more psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to help a growing number of soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health needs.

Walter Reed's new commanding officer, Major General Eric B. Schoomaker, admits the Army medical system has lost the trust of soldiers, their relatives and the American people but says they are working hard to fix the problems and provide quality care to troops.