Einstein Cited for Involuntary Elopements

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Involuntarily committed patients were able to walk away from a secured unit at a major Philadelphia hospital even though they were supposed to be under constant watch.
In a 28-page report on the Albert Einstein Medical Center, state surveyors concluded the medical facility "failed to substantially comply ... with professional standards of operation."
Calling the deficiencies "systemic" in nature, the officials from the state Health Department also cited the hospital for failing to mitigate ligature risks for behavioral patients at a known risk for suicidal ideation. One of those patients had previously jumped on rail tracks in a prior attempt.
Those suicide or ligature risks listed in the report included everything from window frames to gas outlets to pajama strings.
The report was made public on Oct. 31 even though the surveyors completed their report and site visit on April 23.
The hospital filed a plan of correction that calls for increased securiy with manned entrances and exits and inspection of all rooms to identify ligature risks.
Patient files and other hospital records showed four of four involuntarily committed behavioral patients were able to elope.
One patient apparently escaped by loosening a ceiling tile and moving a chair to gain access. While one patient was recaptured in another Einstein building the whereabouts of another patient was still "unknown" at the time of the report.
A third patient was observed slipping out a doorway but he had jumped into an elevator before he could be caught.
The fourth patient slipped away by following a social worker.
All were supposed to be under close observation during waking hours.
"A staff worker acknowledged there was no close observation," the report states in commenting on one of the elopements.
Hospital officials did not respond to a request for comment or to specific questions on the report.
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