Phila. Behavioral Hospital Cited in Assaults

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A Philadelphia behavioral hospital caring for elderly patients has been cited for failing to act when an employee was accused of sexually assaulting two patients.
Haven Behavioral Hospital, a 36-bed facility on Henry Ave, was the subject of an October inspection report by state Health Department surveyors who found that the employee accused of the assaults was still working at the hospital despite two separate incidents.
The hospital "failed to immediately report and investigate when one patient reported allegations of sexual abuse and suspicious behavior by the same (*alleged) employee that involved another patient," the report states.
"The employee remained on duty and provided patient care the night the allegation was reported," the report states.
Hospital officials could not be reached for comment. They did submit a plan of correction promising to re-educate employees on the requirements for reporting suspected abuse. The plan also calls for audits to assure continuing compliance.
The report also cites discrepancies in the accounts of the two incidents based on interviews and reviews of patient records.
"There was no documentation the facility reported or investigated these allegations," the report states.
Inspectors found the employee was still working though the two incidents occurred months earlier.
They declared a state of immediate jeopardy until the hospital came up with an action plan calling for the immediate termination of the employee, confiscation of his keys and alerting security personnel to bar the employee from entering the building.
The state of immediate jeopardy was reinstated the next day when inspectors learned the action plan hadn't been implemented and hospital officials hadn't even contacted the suspect.
He was finally terminated on Oct. 11, according to the report.
The first incident was on April 18 when the employee was discovered in a locked patient's room "longer than expected."
"Patient was talking and moaning," the report states.
An employee told surveyors the incident was not immediately reported "because the co-worker(witness) was afraid of how the suspect would react," describing him "as a larger person and she was afraid he would become angry."
On April 30 a second incident was reported.
"This was the second allegation of possible sexual assault that involved (the suspect}and this was documented in the witness statement submitted on April 30," according to the report.
Other deficiencies cited during the October visit included failure to perform annual performance evaluations and improper behavior by staffers when they got into an argument with each other.
Surveyors also found patients at risk for suicide had access to areas where ligatures could be utilized.
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