Medical Staff

Washington suspends a hospital’s license

Executive Briefings Digest, February 28, 2006

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The Washington Department of Health announced in January that it suspended the license of Puget Sound Behavioral Health, a county-run psychiatric hospital in Tacoma, over alleged violations that compromised the safety of patients and staff.

A health department investigative team found that the hospital was so understaffed that disturbed patients could not be properly treated. In one past incident, police had to use a taser gun to control an agitated patient. On another occasion, a patient injured a staff member. State team members also noted that the hospital left several leadership positions vacant (including the medical director's job) and did not provide nursing supervision for all shifts.

The state ordered the hospital to immediately stop admitting new patients and relocate current patients.

Source: Briefings on Hospital Safety Regulations



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