Discharged Behavioral Patient Jumps on Interstate

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A Pennsylvania hospital with a history of regulatory infractions has been cited for dozens of deficiencies in handling suicidal patients including one who was discharged only to run to a nearby bridge and jump on to an interstate highway.
In a highly critical report on the 249-bed Lehigh Valley Hospital -Pocono, dozens of lapses in the care of behavioral patients were enumerated in detail.
They included several cases in which the hospital failed to assign workers to provide a physician ordered one-on-one watch for suicidal patients, in some cases with dire consequences.
In fact in six of six cases reviewed watchers were not promptly provided for patients considered at high risk for suicide.
"There was a concern serious harm was likely to occur as a result of staff not providing constant direct observation," the report states.
In one case a patient at high risk for suicide who was placed on a one-on-one watch was discovered by chance by a nurse with an EKG cord and oxygen tubing around the neck in a suicide attempt. No watcher had been assigned.
The report by surveyors from the state Health Department said the facility demonstrated "systemic non-compliance" with its duty to "promote and protect each patient's rights."
Another case cited was that of a patient who was brought back to the East Stroudsburg hospital after jumping off a nearby bridge and landing on the interstate highway below.
"It was intentional," the report says of the jump.
So rampant were the infractions that the state surveyors twice during the on-site survey declared a state of immediate jeopardy, forcing the facility to take immediate corrective action.
In a plan of correction hospital officials said staff were re-educated but they acknowledged staffing was limited due to the pandemic. They also attributed the increased patient load in the unit to the pandemic.
Hospital officials did not respond to a series of questions about the report.
In addition to failing to assign watchers, the hospital repeatedly failed to perform initial and periodic assessments of behavioral patients, the surveyors reported.
In another case of faulty discharge planning a patient who was not provided pre-discharge services was returned the same day suffering from an overdose.
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