Hospital Handcuffed Behavioral Patient

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A Johnstown hospital not only had a policy allowing for the use of handcuffs on patients, it used that policy to handcuff an unruly behavioral patient in mid-March.
A state Health Department investigative report states that the handcuff policy at the 436-bed Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center was "inconsistent" with federal regulations.
In the report dated March 24 state health surveyors found that on March 17, a nursing supervisor ordered the hospital's security staff to handcuff the patient, who had a history of disruptive behavior.
The supervisor ordered the cuffing "for the safety of the patient and nursing staff." In an interview with the state health investigators a hospital employee said that in the past the hospital had summoned the local police to subdue the patient.
"The patient's behavior escalated so quickly and was much stronger than ancticipated that we didn't have the time to wait for police," the hospital employee told the surveyors.
"So instead of tasing the patient I gave the order for security to handcuff the patient," the nursing supervisor told the state surveyors.
In its plan of correction the hospital said it had updated its policy to comply with the federal regulations and eliminate the "verbiage related to the use of handcuffs."
The plan also calls for two sessions per year with staff on the updated policy. Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com